Silent days, violent chase
by Jem Doe
Summary: Astoria lived the war, unlike what most seemed to think. [slowburn]
1. Chapter 1

Astoria is small and sick, but that's okay. Her disease is not one that wizards recognize, and only comes in bouts during winter, when the weather is gray and muddled. Luna - her cousin and best friend - says the muggles know what she has, and Luna helps in the most Luna way possible, saying sunbaths and weird owl-like glasses will get her away from episodes where she either spends her day in bed, with barely any energy to do anything, or when she eats her heart out.

It's little, what Luna can do, but Luna's smiles are sometimes as bright as the sun, even when walking barefoot through the snow - Astoria _did_ offer to help find the people who had taken Luna's shoes, but the girl simply shrugged and told her it had been the Nargles, and they'd give it back in due time. Astoria frowned, but knowing Luna, the girl truly believed in those odd creatures. Astoria, while half believing and half not buying it, just wishes Luna accepted the help.

However, it's thanks to Luna, who always tries her best to heal Astoria, that Astoria decides to get into healing. Someone's has to do it, especially when Luna's adventures with her father during summer have her going through forests to some creature or another. It starts small - _Episkey_ and _Ferula,_ going through these with Luna several times a month, during school, so Luna could remember them during her travels. Astoria still worries, which just makes her go through the library to find more healing spells, occasionally ordering a book or two to the point it makes her mother chuckle and her father sigh.

It's alright, and Astoria keeps learning more.

It _does_ come handy her sixth year, when war is raging around her, and Astoria has to sneak through the darkness to heal Luna and her friends in the resistance. Astoria, who never rebelled a day in her life, now works for what her father calls "bloodtraitor, mudblood lover scum". Her perfect sister reproves, but says nothing, and Astoria is glad for it.

One day she is caught, by no one less than Draco Malfoy. Astoria knows him, but from far- he is one of her sister's friends, and Daphne barely aknowledges her for speaking with "Loony", as everyone seems to know her as. Astoria would curse them to oblivion, but what curses does she know? She is no Weasley with a Bat-Boogey Hex, and healing spells don't cure a nasty personality.

"Where are you going?", he asks, holding her by her arm. She looks offended at him, and his grey eyes try to read her expression. Astoria is not a book to be read, however.

"I do not recall it being any of your business, Malfoy,", she snarls, wrenching her arm away from him. "Get lost, Draco."

"You have been walking too much with scum.", Draco says, scandal written in his pale face. She smiles as inocently as she can.

"I could say the same, Malfoy,", Astoria gives back, and straightens her robes, marching away. Draco quickly caughts up with her, which just makes her feel like she lost something. At least, this time, he doesn't grab her.

"You should be more careful. They are talking, as I'm sure you know,", he whispers. Astoria just shoots him an odd look.

"So? Let them speak, it's not like they weren't talking _already_.", Astoria rolls her eyes. Did he think she was deaf? That she had no tact? Of course she knew, but she was a pureblood aristocrat whose father worked for the Dark Lord. Astoria couldn't be touched, and she did her best to use that in Luna's favour.

Draco shakes his head, displeased. So this wasn't the answer he was looking for. Astoria was so shocked she didn't even blink at his reaction.

"You know what the Carrows speak reaches our Lord, right?", he speaks, fear tinting his voice. Astoria manages to control an eyeroll.

"I am _young_ , not stupid. I know they speak about what supposedly I do,", Astoria replied, and Draco sighed.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

She tells him to kindly suck a dick, and storms off, right to the resistance base, where people look at her carefully, trying to see her for the slimy Slytherin she never truly identified as.

Still, her father told her she'd better be a Slytherin _or else,_ and Astoria was never truly in the mood to find what _else_ meant. Probably a Crucio.

Astoria finds the meaning of _else_ later, on her way home for Easter break, when Luna is kidnapped in the train by Death Eaters in front of her, Astoria mid-spell, too dazed to do anything, trying to heal some awful gash Weasley doesn't want her mother to see. Her father, wearing his Death Eater robes, lingers a tad too long, as a silent "this is _else.",_ and Astoria wants to tear his throat out, but she knows no spell for that.

Weasley blames her, and kicks her out. Astoria gathers the shambles of her dignity as she rises up, cleans her robes, and goes to cry in the bathroom.

When she passes Draco, she quietly tells him off, and the look of pity he gives her is _infuriating_. She does nothing, still, fot there is nothing for her to do.

At her house, things aren't much better, and Astoria manages to last three and a half hours before her father makes a harrumping comment on "Lovegood's bloodtraitorous ways" getting them in trouble, her mother not even looking to Astoria.

She smiles sweetly, and goes to her room, where she tells the house elf to pack her things.

Astoria flees to her aunt Sophia's house, full of crystals and books, and if she tells the woman to not tell her father where she is, no one needs to know.

Without Luna, even the clear sky seems dark, and Astoria lets herself fall into lethargy, staying in bed all day, eating like there's no tomorrow at night. It's a bout of her strange sickness, in the middle of spring.

It all changes when a letter arrives for her, the seal of Malfoy family in silver wax making her raise an eyebrow as she opens it. Aunt Sophia ignores her, as always, and Astoria starts reading it.

 _Greengrass junior,_ it starts, beautiful penmanship showing itself off. Astoria keeps reading, and the next lines make her drop the parchment in the table.

 _Loony isn't dead. She's at my house, in fact. I'm sure you remember it, but did you know it had dungeons? I didn't. The more you know._

 _Is Loony being tortured? Of course, she's under Bellatrix Lestrange's care, I'm sure you've heard of her. Just to reiterate, your precious little cousin isn't dead. I told you you'd be punished._

 _I'll try my best to not let her be too tortured. I'm sure you recall what happened with Longbottom's parents._

There's no signature, and Astoria has no time to lose. She tells the house elf to brew some fresh tea, and dives into studying healing, leaving the quiet aunt Sophia behind.

It's the least she can do for Luna.

In the end, when she tells Longbottom - now alone, Weasley and Luna gone - she can help, she can still heal them, the other members of the resistance boo her.

"Who do you _think_ you are? You're just a Slytherin, you probably sold Luna off!", someone cries, and Astoria panicks, excuses flying out of her lips.

Longbottom, weak willed Longbottom, who knows pureblood lineage as well as she does, says nothing. She wants to dare him to prove them wrong, to let them know Luna is as much of her friend as she is theirs, but nothing.

In the end, Astoria gives up and goes out of the resistance hideout, controling the tears that threaten to leave her eyes. She manages to make it to the closest corner before bawling like a baby. Somewhere between her sobs, company approaches her and sits by her pathetic side. She doesn't aknowledge whoever it is.

When her tears dry and her face is puffy, Draco silently offers her a handkerchief. She accepts it silently, blowing her nose and cracking the smallest of the smiles when he refuses to take it back.

She scourgifies it and puts it in her robe pocket. Since he didn't want it back, it is Astoria's now.

"How is she?", Astoria asks, and Draco shrugs.

"Alive. A bit roughed up. She'll live,", Draco answers. "I managed to convince our Lord that, when he wins the war, he can have her as a scholar or something. He wasn't very sure about it."

Astoria nods quietly.

"Thanks. I guess, I mean, it's still Luna being tortured in your house, but at least she isn't going to become some old lord's bride,", she says, and Draco pales. Astoria flinches, automatically so. "It was considered."

"Yes. She did make a great impression of herself by playing…. Well, _loony_. I do _have_ to admit that our Lord's face when she told him about Nargles was quite something."

Astoria simply stares at nothing, and Draco falls silent. They stay like that for what seems like an eternity.

When she rises up to go to her room, he doesn't follow, and Astoria walks alone for what feels like the first time in forever. She is ignored by the students in the Common Room, who she is sure don't even know her name. Her sister doesn't look at her, and Astoria extends the exact same courtesy as she makes a beeline for her room.

If she cries, no one needs to know.

Hours turn into days which turn into weeks, and one day, while she quietly walks in the darkened halls, not even sure what day is today, a hand touches her arm. She turns and finds Luna, Longbottom behind her seeming embarassed. Astoria pulls Luna into a hug, and if she could, she would melt.

"How?", she asked, and Luna smiled softly.

"That's a long story. I feel like we have some cookies waiting for us, though.", Luna waved for Neville to accompany them, and the boy did.

Astoria could've told Luna what he _didn't_ do, but she didn't have the guts for that. Instead, Astoria and Luna instead traveled through shadows to the resistance base, and talked in hushed tones between glances to see if anyone was coming on their way there.

Astoria fell quickly back in her healing schedule, until one day. Astoria would only learn the date years later.

While she healed a recently-Crucio'd third year, when Harry Potter and company came in through the portrait. She cursed under her breath and readied her wand, waiting for the spells that were never thrown to her.

Potter and company are looking for something, and Luna, smiling to Astoria ever so briefly, tells she knows who knows where it is. As soon as Luna is gone, Astoria slids herself out and pretends she knows nothing. She goes to the Great Hall, and eats her food - it tastes bland, anyway - quietly.

It's not like she has anyone to talk with.

Hours later, Astoria is hushed to the dungeons, the war breaking out in the gardens of Hogwarts, and Daphne says her goodbyes in the most affectionate way she ever spoke before joining the fight. Which side Daphne fights for, Astoria cannot know, and as such, she sleeps through war.

When the Dark Lord's voice ressonates through every corner of Hogwarts, it wakes her up, and Astoria wonders, while he speaks, if it has been hours, days, or weeks.

 _I should get a better grip on time_ , Astoria thinks, reading her wand, ready to throw any curse out - if she knew any curses. She was better suited to heal the enemy than maim them.

She finds her way to the Great Hall, where the sick and dead congregate, and starts doing what she knows best. She sees Daphne running to what looks like Blaise Zabini, but keeps her head down, working. Astoria speaks briefly with Luna, and flees when she hears the Dark Lord telling all to head over to the court.

She stays with the sick and the dead, casting colorful spells for the kids until all shouts of war become shouts of happiness, and heads back to the Great Hall to see the Dark Lord dead.

Astoria blinks, looking through the crowd to see how the little Death Eaters in school were reacting to the Dark Lord's death, and finding it odd she didn't see Draco there.


	2. Chapter 2

Astoria meets Draco years later, by accident. He looks thinner and sadder, and needs a Sleeping Potion.

She stares at him, discreetly looking around to certify herself she's still at her small private consultory. Draco barely blinks, and he seems too used to a doctor's stare.

"I went to a muggle medicine college, Draco. I can prescribe you sleeping pills instead of a potion.", Astoria makes a move for the pills she keep as samples, but Draco moves to stop her. "Listen, I know it's muggle, but I prefer to give these because of that disease that doesn't digest potions. Most wizards can digest pills."

"I can digest a potion, Astoria,", he says, letting his hand fall. She sighs, rising up from her chair, half wondering if she still had Sleeping Potions in stock.

She did give a few to Luna recently, didn't she? Luna always seemed jetlagged these days, as the muggles liked to say. The muggles said most strange things, but after a few years living between them, she was used to them and their weird ways.

It was better than the wizarding world, at least. Muggles saw something weird and researched it, while wizards accepted it.

"Better safe than sorry,", she tells him, in the end.

"Yes, I'd say so.", Draco says and then stays silent while she fiddles with the lock. "Sorry I am here, but you're the only one who won't give me weird looks."

Astoria rolled her eyes. Wizards and their prejudices - two wars had been fought for it, and it seemed like they never changed. She gave another point to the muggles.

"Have you ever heard of the Hippocratic Oath, Draco?"

"What?", he asked, confusion written in his voice. Astoria smiled to herself, finding a vial of the opaque potion she was looking for, checking with a spell if it was still good. Finding it was, she turned back to Draco, choosing every word to come out of her mouth carefully.

She had learned something during her Hogwarts years, but it took some time to sink in. She had learned a lot, in fact - Astoria had lived the war, unlike what most seemed to think. The difference was she was never truly in one side only.

Well, not exactly. She got out of her thoughts and went back to the present matter.

"Most Healers don't. No, most wizards haven't heard of it, but simply put, after you step through my door, I _have_ to help,", she told him, sitting in her comfortable chair and passing the vial.

Draco considered her words for a moment, putting the vial in his pocket - not a robe, but a suit. A bit too fancy for a doctor visit, but at least it wasn't something outrageous.

"So you don't hate me?", Draco asked, and Astoria wondered if he was always like that, or if it was just with her.

"I am indifferent towards you, although I _do_ have to say I still stand by my position when you tried to threaten me with the Dark Lord.", she says, and Draco blushes. Astoria rose an eyebrow. "I _wasn't_ being threatned?"

"I was trying to be nice!"

"Oh yes, by trying to sic the Dark Lord in me. I'm truly sorry to tell you, then, but it has utterly failed,", Astoria told him. Draco blinked quickly. "Next time, don't speak in hushed tones and don't act all high and mighty."

Draco seemed mortified. Astoria was _maybe_ having too much fun with this, so she smoothed her expression. She gave him the standard "take this for X amount of time, come back in two weeks for adjustment of dosage, stop using if it reacts weirdly" speech and sent him on his way, whatever it was.

Astoria expected to be rid of him for two weeks.

Instead, Draco Malfoy shows up on her door three days later, and her secretary (one girl from the resistance who decided to quit the wizarding world with Astoria, and the two had been friends since) just gave her a really smug look.

She shot an ugly look to Natalie and told Malfoy to come in. He sat on one of the chairs and Astoria waited, looking to him with green eyes.

"The potion doesn't work,", Draco said, after thirty seconds. She kept staring. "Before you come at me with the digestory problem, it's because I probably have a resistance to them."

Astoria cocked an eyebrow.

"Sleeping potions create a resistance after two years of non-stop use. How long have you been using them, Draco?"

He smiled, sheepishly. Astoria kept her stare.

"Since the end of the war. I can't stay asleep, I have… Nightmares. The things done in the Manor...", he trailed off, and silence filled the air. She felt like smacking him - seven years. He could be an addict, as far as she knew.

"I can do nothing, then. What you have cannot be treated with potions, Draco,", Astoria pointed out, and before he could threaten her with his _dad_ or something, she picked a business card out of her agenda and slid it towards him. He looked at the card, off-white and with sleek black letters, and then at her."I treat the body, not the mind. However, Lily Moon is a psychologist, and she might help you."

"That _Hufflepuff?_ ", Draco spat, but he took the card anyway. Astoria simply blinked. "I never thought I'd need help from a Hufflepuff, of all people."

"And I thought that kind of sentiment was over, huh?", she smiled, and Draco froze. Vaguely, Astoria wondered if he had forgotten she was a Slytherin, if the way he stammered was any indication. She gave nothing.

He then quietly nodded, thanked her for her time, and left. Astoria wondered if drinking on the job would make her need to fire herself.

After that, she saw Draco a month later, on a Ministry ball, and Astoria, dressed in her best blue robes, wondered why the hell she was there. She sipped on her champagne, and watched her sister dance around with her husband.

Astoria wondered if she could get away with leaving, checking the entrance with the corner of her eyes.

"You seem bored, miss Greengrass,", Draco's voice told her, as he slid by her side, and Astoria rolled her eyes. Exactly what she needed.

"Good to know I'm such an open book,", she replied, dryly. He chuckled. "How is Lily treating you?"

"Well enough, I suppose,", Draco said, and looked around the ballroom. "Would you mind dancing a bit?"

"I don't know how to dance,", Astoria told him, and it was true. Since she wasn't Heir Greengrass, dancing lessons were never a necessity for her as they were for Daphne.

Astoria had also never bothered to learn, and as such, she was stuck in this precarious position. She shouldn't have come, but Daphne had insisted, saying it'd be good for her image to be seen in the wizarding world again. Astoria had no social standing left there, after she had left, and she wasn't really sure why she let Daphne convince her to go. Natalie, too, had a lot to do with that, but because Natalie was being courted by some Wizengamot bigwig or something and wanted company.

Astoria looked through the crowd, and nodded quietly to herself after seeing Natalie positively glowing, speaking with someone. Good for her.

"You're joking, I'm sure,", he told her. Astoria sighed loudly, passing a hand through her dark hair and probably messing the careful updo she had done hours before.

"I speak the truth, don't think I'm rebuffing you. I truly don't know how to dance, and if you permit me the honesty, I'd rather get out of here. As soon as possible, actually."

Draco beamed at that. She shot him a glare.

"Don't look so happy at getting out of here, Draco, I'll feel used,", she said, and he dimmed visibly.

"Well, I do happen to know a nice place to have dinner, if you're up to it,", Draco proposed.

"Now that you speak, I do need a burger.", Astoria mused, and Draco looked like she had grown two heads suddenly. She smiled softly. "Seems like it is I who knows a nice place to eat. Come with me."

He does. Astoria simply giggles to herself, and picks up his hand. It's a beginning.

They go out and eat, and when Draco expresses confusion over muggle money, she rolls her eyes.

"That does make it a wonder you even managed to go to my office, Draco,", Astoria told him, matter of factly, pointing at him with a french fry. He simply stared back, playing with his fries. "Just eat."

"I'm not even sure what this is,", he mumbled, and Astoria rolled her eyes.

"It's a potato. Eat."

He seemed disgusted, but obeyed, and flinched when the sounds of the men listening to the rugby match on a radio became too loud.

"Let me take a polite guess, and say that the Dark Lord didn't have a quiet court.", Astoria said, poking him with a fry. "We can go somewhere else, if you want."

Draco grumbled something, but made no move. Astoria stared him down, and sighed.

"Have you told Lily about that?"

"Isn't patient-healer confidentiality a thing for you?", Draco shot back, and she smiled. He ate a fry tentatively, and his face shone. She smirked in turn, and gave him her fries, settling for her burger.

When they were finished, Astoria took him to a private place so he could Apparate away, and half hoped the next time she saw him wasn't at her office. Astoria works, and a few weeks later, she hears through the grapevine - also known as Natalie - that Draco decided to live as a muggle for a few months. Astoria snorted at that, remembering her own first three months away from the familiarity of the wizarding world, and thought he wasn't going to last.

Astoria lets Natalie go home early so she can get ready for some courtship date or another, and passes on a grocery store on her own way home. To her surprise, she sees Draco, wearing clothes too fancy for a grocery store run, considering a box of cereal. She wonders if she was cursed or something and taps on Draco's shoulder.

He turns to face her and genuinely lits up. Astoria grimaces after seeing what is in his car - candy, mostly, tea, and frozen food. This is a disaster waiting to happen, and she is the witness.

"Hello there, Astoria. You won't believe what the mu…"

Astoria interrupts him before Draco can break the Statue. What a scene that would be, Draco Malfoy being surroudned by Aurors in the middle of a cereal aisle.

"You're wearing the wrong sort of clothes. Don't you have a shirt and jeans? This is not a Ministry ball."

Draco seems confused. Astoria sighs again.

"Let me help you with this, okay? And after this, I'm giving you a crash course on appropriate clothing,", she tells him, and appropriates to herself his cart, passing her basket to Draco. "And carry that, okay?"

He obeys. It's a confused sort of obeying, but she is used to it. The first thing Astoria does is return the frozen meals and candy to their aisles, and walks Draco through the store, getting him ingredients for simple meals and plucking a cookbook out of a shelf.

"These people are so weird. You're telling they don't have elves?", Draco asks, in a whisper, as Astoria explains to him how to select some sort of vegetable or another. She controls an eyeroll, but barely.

"I'm sure a good part of wizarding families don't have elves and they manage just fine, Draco,", she whispers back, putting whatever vegetable she will make him eat in his cart. "Think of this as a Weasley challenge or something."

Draco huffs and puffs, and she imitates him sarcastically, making some women with children in a pack smile to her. Astoria wondered if they were being seen as a couple; if so, did they even look like they had been through war?

She makes him go through a self-check out, but goes first, passing her shitty frozen meals and bread first, slowly going through the motions. Astoria waits for him to go through, and while she seens him struggle with it, she lets him learn something - patience. He never had much of it, and Astoria did remember a few tantrums he threw in the Common Room like a child.

Draco manages to buy his groceries, and Astoria decides clapping probably isn't the best reaction she could have. They leave the store together, the mom pack from before clearly oogling them, and Astoria controls her wand-grabbing instinct. Although, even if she did try to curse them, Astoria would end up healing. She still didn't know many curses.

"So, were are you going? I can escort you there,", Astoria asks, out of politeness, and when the address that comes out of Draco's lips is similar to her own, but just across the hall, Astoria is sure that in a past life she kicked the shit out of Merlin's puppy or something. That couldn't be possibly real.

She decided to sigh like a martyr instead.

"Something wrong?"

"We're neighbors. Come on, seems like I'll be seeing your face a lot more,", she tells him, pushing Draco by his hand to the building they now share.

It's absolutely ridiculous, but it seems like that is her life now.


	3. Chapter 3

For all she has complained silently to herself, Astoria doesn't even see Draco that much - her herectic working hours may have something to do with that, actually. Still, it gets to the point where Natalie is out setting up her dream pureblood wedding or something like that on a sunday and Astoria takes the day to laze around in pajamas to remember Draco is her neighbor.

The reminder comes out in the middle of the wizarding radio drama of the war - some sort of forbidden love between a wizard on Grindwald's side and a witch on the Light side -, when frantic knocks rain upon her door. Astoria waves her wand to shut the radio, and while she walks she put it back on its usual place, her hair. Who knew wands worked great as a bun holder?

Astoria answers the door to find Draco there, with eggs on his hair and flour on his suit. She was sure she had teached him how to dress muggle, but maybe he needs a repeat lesson.

"You seem very prim and proper,", Astoria tells him, and Draco grimaces.

"Thank you, I can barely feel the sarcasm. My parents are coming. They expect a full meal, and while I am able to perfectly cook anything in that cookbook, the cakes just…"

"Explode?", she asked, and he nodded. "If you're using magic to mix the batter, that's why. Normal cooking works fine, but baking just creates a mess. I know, I know. We can probably solve this. When are your parents coming, anyway?"

Draco passes a hand through his hair. Astoria has a feeling she won't like the answer.

"Fifteen minutes.", he answers, and Astoria automatically transfigures herself a better set of clothes than her lazy pajamas, _accio_ her wallet, and clean Draco with one, sweeping wave. He barely blinks as she grabs his hand, locking the door with a spell behind her, ignoring the elevator in favor to the quicker stairs.

"You have no chance of getting a cake ready at this point, so let's buy one. You can pay me back later, okay?", she tells him, pratically flying downstairs, with Draco's clumsy hands in hers, warm and feeling vaguely like raw eggs.

The two of them march to a cute, small bakery Astoria occasionally enters to have coffee and read when Natalie wants privacy, normally with Luna on the other side of the table telling her about so and so animal she saw on whatever travel she was on.

She missed Luna. Astoria wished Luna's job didn't make the blonde girl stay away so much time, but it was what Luna loved, in the end.

Astoria barges in, and goes right for the counter, asking the cashier if they have any entire cakes and what's the price and flavors. The woman behind the counter was very polite, and after that, Astoria let Draco handle most of it, because it wasn't Astoria's place to know the particular tastes of Lord and Lady Malfoy. She'd be glad if it never was, actually.

When Draco had chosen some cake (red velvet, elegantly decorated with soft purple flowers made of chocolate), they went back to his apartment, and he told her to wait by the door so he could put the cake in the fridge and give her the money. Astoria complied, and saw that it wasn't a mess, which was sort of nice.

It did seem recently cleaned with magic, and Astoria could still see the brand new book about magical cleaning. She tactifully ignored it, and noticed that Draco's flat, for all its manufactured cleanliness, was pretty bare. His walls had no painting and his shelves had no books, just a small wizarding radio and a slowly dying plant. Astoria changed her footing and waited, and Draco soon came with twenty galleons in hand.

She looked to him, disbelief written clearly in her face.

"You still haven't understood muggle money."

Draco averted his eyes. Astoria sighed and picked three Galleons from his hands.

"Keep the rest,", she tells him, and disappears through the door, hearing the sound of apparition by the end of the hall.

Astoria kept her head down and pretend she couldn't see and hear Lady and Lord Malfoy talking in hushed tones, heading for her flat and pretending she didn't listen shit.

Her empty flat has a toucan awaiting for her. Astoria sighs, turns on the radio, and goes to pick up Luna's latest letter, finding it full of small colorful rocks and feeds the toucan bits of fruit she has around, reading the letter and making her smile for a few, precious moments of peace.

Her peace is broken anyway when Draco comes in with pieces of cake, knocking on the door.

"You're making me wonder why I am so special, Draco,", she told him, letting him in. "Twice a day? You're making a girl feel well about her terrible pajamas."

Draco said nothing, and just placed the cake pieces on her table, sitting quietly with a serious look in his face. Astoria quirked an eyebrow, locking her door behind her and going straight to the kitchen, and with a quick _Aguamenti,_ put some water to boil, sitting on the oher, avaible chair.

They stayed like that for long moments, and didn't speak to each other, Astoria taking small bites of the mushy cake while she waited for the water to boil; when the tea is being poured, Draco speaks up.

"They think I'm the family shame, like being on the wrong side of the war wasn't already a shame.", he then scoffs. "Can you imagine, being the family shame because you're living like a muggle?"

Astoria, whose father was a blood supremacist and a Death Eater, cannot imagine that. She did remember being in the path of a Crucio when she announced her decision to study on Sorbonne's Healing/Medicine mixed program, but otherwise, no, she cannot even fathom how that must be.

She sips on her tea, instead, and lets Draco ramble on about his father and his mother and so on.

"They say I'm just wasting their money, but at least I'm not the one who, even all this war, is keeping their stupid blood supremacy ways."

"I don't know, Draco, I do remember you speaking something about muggles on the grocery store,", Astoria said, and pointed a finger at him. "And if your parents think you're wasting their money, fine, get a job and spend the money you earn. I'd suggest retail, but I fear it'd just make you hate muggles"

Draco considered her words carefully, and reclined against her chair.

"A job.", he says, as if considering two differently colored potions, one a poison and another a poison too. Astoria kept staring at him.

"Yes, a job, like most people have."

"Huh.", he says, and finishes his tea, seemingly renewed. "That's an interesting idea you've got, Astoria."

With that, Draco rises, and Astoria manages to tell him to bring the rest of the cake if he hasn't eaten it before her door closes.

She decides it's high time she goes to bed, waving her wand and making everything clean itself as she heads to her tiny, cramped room, filled to the brim with mementos Luna brings from her trips hunting magical creatures and books on both muggle medicine and healing magic, french and english mixed together. She lays on her bed, barely feeling anything, and sleeps.


	4. Chapter 4

With winter, many things come: Astoria's depression bouts, flu season, and Luna.

Luna always seems to know when Astoria is about to fall into bed and not come back, and appears on her doorstop with tanned skin, short hair, and tales from the Amazon Florest.

Bleary eyed, Astoria blinks quietly, inviting the blond girl in with a nod of her head. Luna smiled brightly, and entered, not noticing the calculated mess it was.

"I'll make some tea. Green?", Astoria asked, making her way to the kitchen, Luna behind her humming an agreement as she sat on the couch, putting her heavy bag by her side and making it groan. "If you brought a rock again, I'm sending the bill to the Ministry."

"Oh, don't worry, it's just paper,", Luna's voice said, wafting through the kitchen. Astoria smiled to herself, putting some water to boil on the stove. _Paper,_ sure. "How are you?"

Astoria considered the question carefully, picking the leaves and setting aside her best china, which was a chipped blue and gold thing that Luna had brought her from Australia. Astoria absolutely loved it.

"I'm fine, as much as I can be on winter,", Astoria replied, shrugging to no one else, picking up the old fashioned wooden box she used to keep teabags, a gift Daphne had sent with a letter telling Astoria to visit her and her daughter during Christmas. "I barely got out of bed yesterday and today I gorged out. I was fine a few days ago, but this weather doesn't help."

She could hear Luna humming, and Astoria knew Luna was waiting for more information.

"I am fine. I just need more sun, but this is England, and this is the busiest season for me. Otherwise, I'd be having a blast in some beach, away from everything."

"Oh, I can imagine, you copped up inside, watching the muggles. Sounds fun,", Luna said, and by the sound of it, set something at the table while Astoria moved to put the now boiling water in the teacups, a wandwave making the green tea teabags ended up in the cups. "How's the job?"

Astoria smiled to herself, telling Luna briefly about some anti-vaxxer muggle mom that had appeared on her office, like they all seemed to do on winter, and in turn, as she brought the steeped tea, Luna told her tales from the Amazon, some Animagus clan that traveled through rivers with their Amazon river dolphin form and were the source of a myth of dolphin-turned-man who impregnated girls and left. While they had tried something with Luna, they left her alone after it dawned on them that she wasn't a muggle.

"They did lead me to a fantastic, manatee-like creature, and they told me it was a local mermaid. I think it might have been just a common manatee, although,", Luna mused, sipping her tea, the inclining her head. "Hm, maybe not. It did have a lot of Nargles around its head…"

Astoria wished she had something to eat, nodding quietly.

"Do chose an official stance for the Ministry relatory. I'm sure they wouldn't like undecision."

Luna laughed, soft as a chime.

"Oh, I can always say I haven't yet decided and need to check again. Matheus promised to show me some more creatures if I went there again."

Astoria rolled her eyes, ready to shot back some commentary on anti-pregnancy potions needing safe packaging, when the doorbell rang. She told Luna she'd be right back, and hoped, for all it was worth it, it wasn't Draco.

It was. Astoria wondered why she still had hopes.

Astoria stared at Draco, who shined, carrying a bag who smelled suspiciously of cookies. While Astoria was always in the mood for baked good, this was not the right time.

"Astoria, you'll never believe - "

"Is that Draco?", Luna's voice said, coming from the apartment, and both froze. "If it is, tell him to come in, he has many Nargles around his head, I can _hear_ them buzzing from here."

There was a pause where both didn't breath, where the only thing Astoria saw was herself reflected in grey eyes.

"Is he carrying food? That might be it. Tell him to come in, I'm going to inspect it."

Draco and Astoria keep staring at each other. Some old lady, passing by the hall, snickers at them, and Astoria stammers.

"Can I?", he asked, in a stage whisper. Astoria nodded and let him in, closing the door quietly and glaring at the old lady's back like a child for a moment.

When she came back to the living room, she found Luna smiling placidly to a very umcomfortable, suit wearing (again?) Draco. He did put the bag in the table, revealing a box full of cookies, at least.

"As I thought, full of Nargles,", Luna said, picking up one cookie. "What brings you here, Draco?"

"I'm Astoria's neighbor,", he told, nervously looking from one corner to another. Astoria picked up a cookie for herself, munching on it. Draco rose up, not looking to Luna. "I just wanted to tell her something, but I… Can do that later.I'll see myself out."

She stared at him. Astoria kept munching.

"Don't worry, Draco. I don't hold it against you.", Luna put her hands on her lap, tiny white scars showing. Astoria had asked, once, and Luna just said _Bellatrix_ before going back to some mystical animal. "We did what we needed to do to survive."

Draco said nothing, leaving the cookies behind. They stayed in silence for a few minutes, until Luna broke it.

"These are some good cookies. Matheus would appreciate it,", she said, and gave a mock glare to Astoria. "Unlike someone, whose head is just swimming with Nargles. Come on, Astoria, don't worry, it's not like you befriended Bellatrix and she nows brings you cookies. I'd be sad if you did befriend Bellatrix. She looks like a mad queen."

"You're right about mad,", Astoria pointed out, picking a cookie and analyzing it. How did Draco even buy it? He barely understood muggle money. "I'm sure that, if Matheus likes it so much, you should marry him and have his precious Animagus babies."

Luna cracked a smile, and told her more stories about the Animagus clan, making Astoria forget about Draco a little.

It lasted a week, although. Soon enough, Draco was in her office, in the middle of flu season, and she could feel a headache forming itself as Natalie winked at her.

"Draco. I'm not sure if you're aware, but there are fifteen babies waiting to receive the exact same diagnosis, and I cannot drink on the job. Please tell me it's worth the fifteen minutes you bought me."

Draco fidgeted on his seat, and put a small cookie tin with some fancy letters proclaiming it to be from the rich people bakery near her flat.

"I got a job. On the bakery. Aparently, I'm good with numbers, or something. Vector would be proud,", he said, chuckling to himself, as Astoria decided to keep the cookies handy for herself and away from sneezings babies. "They said that if I stick around I can learn how to make the food. Can you believe it? These people aren't judginf me because I…"

He stopped himself mid-phrase, and Astoria blinked, surprised. She never thought her offhand commentary would be taken seriously.

"It's _him_ , I'm assuming?", Astoria asked, tilting her head. Draco nodded. "Well, that's what's nice about living with the muggles, no one calls you Death Eater scum because you happened to be in Slytherin during the war. Isn't that fantastic?"

She was bitter, bitter like some old had, and it made her flinch. Draco just nodded.

"To us, then, filthy slimy Slytherins who are Death Eater scum.", he smiled, and Astoria smiled in turn.

"To being a filthy Death Eater scum,", she smiled, and faked a toast to Draco, who simply looked at her, confused. She sighed. "Alright, first thing as soon as I'm free from this hell, I'm taking you to watch a movie. Now move, Draco, I have fourteen babies to attend."

He frowned.

"I'm fairly sure you said _fifteen_ when I came in."

"You were one. Off you go, thanks for the cookies, I'll savor them with a bit of Firewhiskey after this is over."

Draco sighed loudly and left, not so mercifully, to the tender cares of moms who researched one symptom and thought their baby had anything else than the common flu. Astoria was tired.

When the last one was up, Astoria sighed to herself, deciding that it was high time that she ate her cookies, when Natalie knocked softly on the door, looking a bit awestruck, and smiled.

"Got time for one more baby today, doc?", Natalie said, and Astoria was already cursing whatever mom thought that keeping her past her already stretched time was a good thing to do. But she is gracious about it, and tells Natalie to let whoever it is in, accepting a thin folder with no name on it.

She hides her cookies just in time to see no one else than boy wonder Harry Potter and rebel leader Ginny Weasley (Potter, she assumes now. Maybe Daphne was right, maybe Astoria did need to have some sort of connection to the wizarding world.), with Potter carrying a baby that looks maybe like it's two years old, maybe a bit older.

She made a mental note to get a signature of the Daily Prophet again and smiled as professionally as possible to the two of them, with Weasley (... Potter? Weasley-Potter?) more surprised than anyone else.

"Hello there. I'm afraid that I haven't had a chance to read your case, but why don't you talk about it to me?", she asked, smiling, opening the folder and reading the baby's name - James Sirius Potter. _A typical pureblood's name_ , she thought, and read what sounded like a two year old baby not reacting to potions at all.

Astoria smoothed her expression as Potter and Weasley described exactly what she read, but in far less clinical terms, like the baby's regurtating of some fever potions and calming draughts. While Astoria appreciated the level of detailing they had, she also thanked that she never got to eat those cookies.

"Alright, I have an idea of what's going on,", she said, and the two of them shut up. The baby kept its sleep, and Astoria wanted to thank him for not screaming her ears off. The redness in his face did look a bit worrying, although, so she decided to cut the chase. "Your baby can't digest potions. Very common issue between purebloods, as I'm sure you're aware, and results in vomiting of any potions and makes them completely useless since their magical system cannot handle them, thanks to genetic issues that surface when bloodlines are inbred. No offense, though, this is the medical vision of the inability regarding the digestion of potions."

They looked gobsmacked, Weasley's hand that was calmly patting the asleep baby completely stopping. Astoria felt like a know-it-all that was unwelcome, and cleared her throat to clear her thoughts.

"Anyway, this isn't the end of the world. You can offer your child muggle medicine,", she started her usual welcome-to-muggleland discourse, while writing down safe medicines for children and usual dosages, together with some doctor's recommendations that didn't involve medicine, but common sense, like non-magical vaccinations. She doubted they had it, anyway.

In the end, Potter and Weasley thanked her, and when Potter rose up, Weasley stayed sat in her place.

"I want to ask a few things to her, Harry. Would you wait for me?", Weasley asked, and started to rock baby James back to sleep when he started to wake.

"If you'd like to, mr. Potter, there's a pharmacy that's always open one block from here,", Astoria suggested, smiling, and Harry Potter left her office with her recipe in his back pocket.

When the door was closed, Astoria waved her wand and put a privacy ward on, and stared at Weasley's face. Weasley stared back, while the baby slept, unaware of whatever was coming down.

"You're Astoria Greengrass,", Weasley said, and Astoria wondered if maybe Draco wasn't right, all those years ago, and maybe all Weasleys _were_ weasels. "Listen, I know I wasn't the best person, all those years ago, but - "

"I'm not poisoning your baby, Weasley. I'm a certified doctor, and if babies just started dropping dead in my care, you can bet your wand I'd not be here,", Astoria cut in, not interested in hearing about Weasley's vision of the war. She kept staring at Weasley, who didn't waver.

"Anyway, as I was going to say, is it possible that we can have you as James' official… Healer? Since potions don't work on him, and we don't know muggle medicines, I'm afraid we're going to need a specialist."

Astoria set back on her chair, considering for one moment Weasley's proposition, but there wasn't much to consider. She had an oath to obey, in the end of the day.

"Sure, just do me a favour and set an appointment in a normal time with Natalie. She takes owls, floo calls, whatever. Don't think just because your husband's famous I'm going to stay up late.", Astoria shrugged, and Weasley seemed relieved. "Is that all?"

Weasley seemed unsure for one second, and rose up, Astoria following her example to make sure that no extra babies came to interrupt her precious time with baked goods.

However, Weasley stopped in the door, adjusting the baby in her arms. Astoria wanted to cuss her.

"Do tell me, Greengrass. What's the chance another baby has this disease?", she asks, and Astoria sighs at how utterly _lost_ Weasley looks. Hell, even during the worst days of the war, during the rebellion, Weasley didn't look like a kicked, rain soaked puppy like she did right now, looking at baby James.

She was going to regret her next actions, Astoria knew.

"Without an in-depth study of yours and Potter's family trees, I'd say one baby in four,", Astoria replies, and goes back to her table, scribbling her address on a piece of paper that she offers Weasley after for quick steps. "Here, Weasley. If anything happens to him and you or Potter can't solve with, come to my house. Don't Floo in, although, I don't have one."

Weasley blinks at her once, and with some careful maneuvering, manages to stick it in her pocket.

The moment she is out of her door, Astoria regrets her decision, but figures it probably won't come back to hit her.


	5. Chapter 5

Regret knocks on Astoria's door a little less than a week later, at four am, while Astoria has a personal moment with the cherry jam she bought in her way home yesterday. She thinks about ignoring it, but when the knocks rain down her door again, she sighs, Vanishes the mess she made with a wand wave and uses her free hand to tie her hair in a messy bun that probably has jam in it.

"Coming, one moment!", she calls, making her way through the messy living room, stopping for one second to at least set a cleaning spell on it. Only them she went to the door, unlocking it to find a Draco Malfoy there with a serious case of bedhead, and two worried parents - namely, Weasley and Potter, carrying James, who looked feverish. Her eyes snapped from the baby to Draco, who shrugged.

"They seemed to think my flat was yours."

"Thanks, Draco, for leading them here, now all of you come in,", Astoria replied curtly, nodding to the inside of her home and seeing they obey quickly, all but - "Draco, you too. You're awake as well, so come in. Do close te door."

Astoria does not stop to see if Draco comes in or not, and moves to the living room, where Potter and Weasley are, looking around. Astoria sighs, pinches the bridge of her nose, and sweeps away most of the clutter in her center table.

"Put the baby in the table, and let me work on him. Draco, if you could, make some tea, please do,", she says, pulling her sleeves, and starting to weave several diagnosis spells together as Draco feebled protested, but her attention span soon drowned it, too busy checking the incoming wave of results to pay attention to him.

Potter and Weasley kept staring at her, so she decides to make them useful.

"For how long has James been like this?", she asked, analyzing the numbers and letters in front of her, moving it ocasionally.

"Two days, give it or take. We tried giving him medicine, but it didn't work,", says Potter, sitting on the floor to touch James quietly. Weasley stayed on her feet, a hand on her wand holster. Astoria kept her eyeroll to a minimum.

"Mmmh.", Astoria hummed, and noticed a pattern. Good, that was what she was looking for, at the same time Draco appeared with the tea. She left it aside. "You two don't happen to have a black cat, do you?"

Astoria reached for her cup, and sipped on it while Potter told her that yes, they had a black cat, a gift from Hagrid. Astoria did her best to not look bewildered they kept contact with the game warden, but Draco did it for her - and got a hex stinging his ear from Weasley.

At least the redhead was still good with shooting people.

"He has Black Cat Flu, and your pet cat has infected him. I'd recommend sleeping in a hotel, and tomorrow morning, one of you cleans the house and the other takes the cat to the Magical Emporium for treatment. Keep James in a well-aired room for a day, and this will soon be acting as a normal flu."

The two of them seem so relieved about it that Astoria has to surpress a laugh.

"Anyway, considering it's four am, you can use my bed for the night. Don't transfigure any of my books into a crib, although, or I'm going to ask for payment."

Potter looked at her confused, scooping James in his arms.

"You're not going to require payment?"

"Mr. Potter, it's four am, I'd have to do a lot of arithmancy to be able to bill you for everything, and honestly, I'm not in the mood. Off you go, the sooner you sleep the sooner it goes away", she waved them in the direction of the room, and rose up, deciding that maybe Draco could find his own way to the door and that she could, probably, go back to gorging herself. She deserved it.

Astoria sits in her chair in the kitchen, and sees Draco join her at the same time she sits back and picks up her half eaten cherry jam pot, the spoon thrown aside hurriedly recuperated by a somewhat disgusted Draco.

"How can you eat that? It's pure sugar, isn't it?", he asks, after Astoria shovels three spoonfuls in her mouth in quick succession. She stops and puts it away, casting away her eyes.

"It's tasty. I don't have other motive. That, and I didn't really get out of bed today…", she trailed off, and Draco watched in silence. "So I kind of had to make up for that in calories lost."

They stay in silence, and as light starts to filter through the small window the kitchen has, Draco speaks up.

"Are you sick?", Astoria winces. Draco must have noticed, because he blinks quickly. "You are. Don't you have any muggle medicine to help? You're such an advocate for them."

Astoria considered his question. If she was honest, there was - there were muggle treatments, and Astoria quickly abandoned most of them because she never had time to do them.

She could swallow a bunch of pills, yes, but most gave her adverse effects she couldn't deal in in her profession - her memory went back to the time she was taking antidepressants while going through the Healing semester, and she had to spend her days swimming in nausea, with any stronger smell making her breakfast abandon her stomach.

She couldn't take it if that was how her body would react, so she flushed the pills away and went back to living like she had before.

"I can't take them. Not because I'm against them, mind you, but because either I don't have time, or because I hade side effects that clash with what I do for a living,", she told him, and Draco nodded.

"So you kind of… Don't do nothing?"

"Yes. I spend my days off in bed during winter, and at night I remember I have to eat so I just… You know, stay up eating whatever I can find. I had other plans for that jam, but it just…", she shrugged, and Draco nodded quietly. "That's kind of why I let go of the wizarding world, you know? They thought I was a lazy kid, and people like me were faking it for attention. Well, the muggle world isn't any better at accepting illnesses like mine, but at least they admit it exists. It's… Something. To be validated."

Astoria is ranting. She is fully aware that she is spilling her heart to Draco Malfoy at four am after being questioned why she was eating jam, but she couldn't stop the word torrent that was going out of her mouth.

When it was over, the birds filled the air with song, a composition that changed every day and at the whim of the birds, and Astoria felt… Empty. Like somehow, all these words she rambled were some weight on her shoulders.

"I feel ridiculous,", Astoria said, lamely and Draco shrugged. "What an answer, huh? Here I am, in the light of a new day, opening myself up, and your shrug. Way to make a gir feel special."

Draco blinked quickly, and stammered a bit.

"It's not that I don't care. Actually, I can sort of understand what you go through, since it's… Eerily similar to what I did during the end of the war. If I wasn't so afraid of… Well, you know _who_ , I'd have just lied in bed and waited for the end, not… Doing anything. Not thinking."

"How did you get up, then?", she asked, genuinely curious, and Draco, didn't look at her.

"Pansy. Blaise. Your sister. We were all against, in a way, and up for what he was promoting, so we made sure each of us was okay. Blaise did use it was an excuse to throw me in the Lake, atlhough…"

Astoria chuckled to herself, and Draco acompanied her - and when she noticed, she was a breathless mess, forehead touching the sticky table. Her eyes rose and met Draco's pale face, his eyes looking to the roof.

It's oddly comfortable - maybe it's the lack of sleep hitting Astoria. Draco rises up, and pats his clothes before stretching for a bit.

"Think I might have to go,", he says, casting a _Tempus_ spell with ease, showing it was just a bit past six am. Astoria takes notice of the date, and snorts. Luckily, Draco doesn't notice. "My job might start soon."

"Have fun,", she tells him, trying to not drip with too much sarcasm. She does remember her months in retail. "Merry holidays."

Draco looks confused at her for a second, but shrugs and wishes her a nice holiday as well.

When he is gone, Astoria decides it's time for some coffee and laundry, and lets the warm smell of coffee fill her mind as she acts automatically, trying to fill the empty days until her clinic opens again.

"Two weeks,", she mutters to herself, casting the spell that Draco had just used, seeing the date written in cursive. "That's all."

Astoria takes a deep breath and ignores the world.


	6. Chapter 6

The end of the day finds Draco Malfoy on her couch, the Potter-Weasleys or however they call themselves long gone. She raises an eyebrow at him and pokes his ribs with her wand. He sort of yelps at that, so at least Astoria won't have to call the Aurors to report a dead body.

She squats to be at eye level with him, but his eyes stay hidden by messy blonde hair. She uses her wand to poke his cheek, and honestly, Astoria isn't very sure how Draco even entered her apartment while she wasn't in it.

Luna had convinced her to go shopping for gifts for Daphne's daughter, and they had decided on a nice white cat that was going to be kept at Luna's house. She honestly hoped little Genevieve liked the cat. Just to be sure, although, Astoria had gone off her way and bought some books about cat care that was geared for kids in a bookstore downtown. Natalie, who was the one who told her of their unexpected guest after she had come home, now simply waved at her, a trunk floating behind her, and mouthed "good luck" to Astoria before going onher merry way to the manor of whoever was the wizard courting her. Astoria was sure the man had a name, too bad she couldn't remember it.

Still, that wasn't the matter right now. She poked Draco again, and this time, got a muffled response. That was good.

"Don't talk to me like that, Draco. What you're doing in my house?", she asked, and Draco turned his face to meet her. "Hello there. This is my flat, and Natalie told me she found you inside."

"I think I prefered the war,", he moaned, and Astoria cracked a smile, letting herself fall to the floor. "I mean it. At least, in the war, I didn't have to pay attention to people's enraged discourses while being Crucio'd. Merlin, when you told me working retail would make me hate muggles, I didn't understand, but now..."

"Welcome to retail, Draco. Smile and go to your happy place.", she replied, poking his forehead with her wand. "I think I may have some aspirin. Would you want it?"

"I want to die,", he replied, and Astoria laughed, rising up and putting her wand in her arm holster, going to the kitchen to make tea. "Just let me write a note, Avada Kevadra me and call the Aurors, they won't arrest you."

"Leave me part of the Malfoy state and it's a deal, Draco.", Astoria called, waving her wand and making the kettle fill itself, picking her tea box. "I'm going to make tea, would you like some?"

"I'd like death,", Draco replied, and Astoria rifled through her tea leaves. There was no death tea - the little Luna had brought her from Australia she had used as a birthday gift to Daphne, who was always researching poisons and venoms. His voice is still half muffled, so she assumes Draco is facing the couch again. "Black tea is fine."

"I'm making you chamomile. It's relaxing.", she answered, in turn. This is oddle surreal to her, the weirdest domestic experience of her life. Astoria kept speaking, maybe that would make this less bizarre. "I was going to ask if you were always this dramatic, but I do remember you moaning in the Common Room after being scratched by that Hippogriff."

"That savage beast,", Draco mumbled, just a bit more loud than the sound of boiling water. Astoria turns off her stove and waves her wand, setting everything up. "What a foul animal."

"You deserved it,", she told him, bringing the tea to the living room, where it seemed Draco hadn't even moved. She sat on the floor, opposite to him, and let the tea steep. "Also, you haven't told me how you got in."

Draco rose up from his seat, and slid to the floor. His eyes had bags it didn't have before, purple and blotchy like a bruise. She wondered if he was punched, and cut herself into the words.

"Alohomora,", he said, and Astoria kept looking at him. "You don't have any wards here. It's dangerous."

Oh. Her features became soft, and she drank a sip of her tea, letting the warmth pool in her chest for a moment before speaking.

"The war is over. The Death Eaters are in Azkaban. The need for wards is over, Draco."

He didn't seem to believe her, and Astoria was glad she had given him chamomile tea.

"Azkaban is not unbreakable. Don't you fear them?"

She laughed. Draco stared at her.

"My father was a Death Eater, Draco. Anything they want to do with me is something I probably have seen while living in Greengrass Manor,", she told him, and Draco blinked quickly. "I know, I know, what a wonder, other people had Death Eater fathers, too."

"You rebelled in school, whoever. How are you not…?"

"The sheet to go home was opt-in,", she reminded him, and let Draco do the rest. "You seem tired, Draco. Why don't you sleep in my bed? I can use the couch."

He protests, she insists, mentioning something or another about her virtue or whatever her mother used to spout that sounded similar, rising up with him and pushing him to her room.

Draco blushes and stammers and accepts, not very graciously, her offer. Astoria closes the door on his face and decides that it's high time she gets to revise some documents.

She is woken up at three am, drooling over her papers, by the sound of muffled screaminh coming from her room. Astoria takes a moment to remember what is going on, and decides that maybe tea will help, rising up and cleaning her mouth with her sleeve, moving slowly through her own house. She put water to boil and waited, deciding to finish the packet of biscuits that lay open.

At some point, Draco joins her. She doesn't speak, and neither does he, the only sound that of boiling water. She went to put in the water on the cups, but he stopped her, and Astoria gave him a look. He was messy, hair sticking out in all directions, and Astoria wondered - had she become a Death Eater, like her father had wanted, would she be like that, too? She was glad for her teenage rebellion, suddenly, and waited for Draco to speak.

"How do you live with these feelings? These depressing thoughts, I mean."

"I never knew how life was without them,", she told him in turn, and Draco let her go. Astoria decided it was high time she made use of one of Blaise's gifts to her, and picked up the bottle of gin she kept hidden. Astoria usually didn't drink, but she supposed she could make an exception. She vanished the tea away, and poured it for both of them.

Astoria put it in front of him, and Draco stared at it.

"It's Blaise's, so don't worry about poison or anything,", she told him, downing it. Draco soon followed suit.

"I'd worry for your sister, honestly,", Draco replied, and Astoria cracked a smiled.

"Not if she kills him first,", Astoria snickered, putting more in her cup.

After that, Astoria is sure she drank more. She can't exactly remember. What she does remember, however, is the hangover she has currently, pouding her head. The world seemed upside down, with Luna peering at her like an owl, poking Astoria's face with a pale finger.

"Good morning,", Luna said, voice barely a whisper. Astoria winced anyway. "Looks like you've had your own party, yeah?"

"Blaise's stuff is too strong,", Astoria mumbled, massaging her aching temples. She needed a hangover potion, stat. "Why is the world upside down?"

"You're upside down."

"Oh.", Astoria said, moving herself and sitting upright, feeling the blood flow back to her body, a dizzy spell taking her for a moment, darkness swimming in her vision. "Shit."

"I'd say the same,", Luna replied, sitting in her empty coffeetable. Astoria rose up, going for the kitchen cabinet that had her potions. "Also, if I were you, I'd verify your potion stock."

Astoria stopped, and turned to face Luna, who seemed really non-chalant about this entire subject. Luna simply smiled.

"There's a lot of Wrackspurts around your head, Astoria. Maybe you should drink something, hm? I can speak while you do that."

Astoria nodded, weakly, and while she walked the small distance, she raked her mind for last nights' memories, but all she found was flashes of memories. She saw herself pouring more gin, and rummaging through her potion ingredient stock, picking up the brass cauldron…

She thought about the ingredients, and let a bitter laugh - she had tried to made a Boil Cure. For what, she wasn't really sure. Astoria really needed to learn when to quit drinking.

Astoria rumagged through her potions cabinet, finding the labeled potion easily, unscrewing its cork and downing the bitter liquid in one, fluid movement. She did gag a bit, however.

"So, what did I do?", Astoria asked, putting some water to boil, and deciding it was high time she put some food on her body, feeling the hangover potion work its way through her, taking her headache away like - well, magic.

"You tried to make a potion, I'm not really sure which, but it was more like a soup. A really gross soup. Even the Nargles fled your house, so I may have to ask drunk you what was the recipe, since Rolf has a terrible infestation on his house."

Astoria's noses scrunched up in disgusted as she looked for the 12-for-10 ramen pack in her kitchen. She should've used Accio, but the last time she did that, she accidentally made a cabinet door fly in Natalie's face. A quick _Episkey_ had solved that, although.

"You're still seeing him? Luna, I distinctly remember his hair having fleas when I met him!", she chided, and Luna simply laughed. "You're going to have fleas, too, so don't laugh!"

"I'd be surprised if _I_ didn't have them,", Luna answered, and Astoria huffed. "Oh, come on, he's not that bad."

" _Fleas_ ,", Astoria repeated, finding the pack of ramen and grabbing one at random. "I don't want to hear you later scratching yourself."

Astoria could pratically hear Luna's grin. Astoria paused for one moment. How the hell had Luna got in? How did Luna even know that she had to come? Did Luna have some sort of Seer power where she could predict when Astoria would wake up shitfaced?

Wait, no. The answer to how Luna got in was offered by Draco, last night - _Alohomora._ Of course.

"Sure, mom.", Astoria heard while putting her ramen in the boiling water. "Hey, Luna, can I ask a thing?"

"Go ahead."

"How did you get here? And where's Draco?"

"You sent me a Howler. Singing. With Draco harmonizing in the background. It was quite lovely, I even saved it. You mentioned sending something to Daphne, and there was some muffled snickering with you and Draco about this. ", Astoria felt like dying. If her sister got ahold of this, Astoria's life was over. "Don't worry, although, I had an interesting Floo call with her, and she told me she hadn't received anything. I did lend her the Howler. I sent Draco to bed, by the way. His bed, so don't worry."

Astoria barely heard the part about Draco. Daphne had heard her _singing_. Astoria would never hear the end of this.

"I'm going to stick my head in this pot of boiling water. Luna, can you return in five minutes or so and check if I'm throughly cooked?"

Luna laughed, a soft, wind chime-like sound, and Astoria smiled.

"You can't die, if you die I'm going to have to go to Daphne's feast alone. Who's going to keep me from eating all the pudding? _Myself?_ I don't have that much self control, Astoria."

Astoria rolled her eyes.

"Fine, but you're sharing the pudding this year.", Astoria huffed.

Hours later, Astoria and Luna were dolled up, Genevieve's gift was in a pretty cage, purring wildly, and Astoria was keeping watch on Luna, who chatted with Blaise. She had already talked with her sister - a silent, staring match where Daphne smirked and Astoria tried to mentally convey that, if word of that Howler got out, Astoria was going to have a duel to death with Daphne. Blaise simply stared, confused, and said nothing. Soon enough, although, social pleasantries with her sister were over, and Astoria could stay seated on the couch until dinner was served.

"What's that, aunt Tori?", Genevieve's voice said, breaking Astoria out of her reverie, and Astoria looked at her niece, dark hair wilf and free, her mother's steely grey eyes in Blaise's angular face. Astoria put her best smile.

"It's a gift for you, Viv,", Astoria replied, and Genevieve broke in the biggest grin she had ever seen. "However, your mom is a meanie who won't let me give it to you until tomorrow morning, but, as your cool aunt, I say you can pet her through the cage. Technically, you won't have opened it, so it's all good."

Genevieve plopped down by Astoria's side, and she passed her the cage delicately, trying to not bother the cat. Her niece set to pet the cat with careful fingers, and Astoria looked at her sister just in time to see Daphne's eyes grow in size. Astoria sent her a self-satisfied smirk and reclined back in her seat, watching as Luna simply smiled. She could do this.


	7. Chapter 7

Ginevra Weasley-Potter entered her small office ten minutes after she had returned two weeks after New Years Eve, still managing her hangover from the party she had gone with Luna and, for some reason, Draco, and the only reason Weasley didn't break the fragile door was because Astoria had charmed it stronger. Astoria raised one eyebrow at Weasley and put her hands on the table.

"Good morning to you too, Weasley. What brings you here, to my office, when I haven't even had my coffee?", she asked, and Weasley glared at her. "Put a bit more of will there, Weasley, that Crucio is going to come well and non-verbally."

"You said that you can do a test that will say what's the probability my children will be unable to digest potions. What do you need for it and how much it costs?"

Astoria blinked. She hadn't expected that.

"Ideally, either yours and Potter's hairs, or a goblin blood test that goes back at least four to seven generations back for both of you. Price depends on what you chose to bring me, but let's say somewhere between two and ten Galleons.", when Weasley blinked, surprised, Astoria sighed and passed a hand through her hair. "Listen, I either have to proccess the hairs and see how much the genetics match, and then send it to someone who will do the math for me, _or_ I have to build upon your family trees, see how much times you match in parentage, and then sending it off to the person who does the math to do the actual math. It's expensive."

Weasley looked at her and sighed, loudly.

"Fine. When can I bring you the hair?"

At least Astoria wouldn't be forced to discuss options, she reasoned, putting her best service smile.

"Any time after I have my coffee. Just drop them with Natalie, she'll know what to do.", Astoria waved. "Has James adapted well to muggle medicine?"

Astoria was then treated to her usual patient fare, and told Weasley some tips normal muggles knew but wizards not, wishing, as Weasley went mercifully away, that she wasn't going to need to deal with another wizard today.

Unfortunately, as she let go the last mom of the day, she was met by the sight of Draco Malfoy adentering her office. She'd groan, but he was carrying a cookie tin, and Astoria hadn't managed to eat lunch today. He offered it to her silently, and she all but snatched it from his hands.

"So,", she begun, opening it to reveal the marvelous sight of the baked treats. She picked one carefully, and looked at Draco. "What brings you here?"

"Natalie told me you didn't eat. Also, I need your help."

"Bribery, I see.", she ate a bit of the cookie, the flavors spreading through her mouth. "Speak."

"I was invited to a party. It was really weird, since there was no invite and no indication on dress code.", Boy, this was going to be good. Astoria rose one eyebrow. "I have no idea what to wear. Do muggles use robes for these parties?"

Astoria raised one eyebrow at him.

"No. They wear jeans and shirts. It's not a ball, you know?"

Draco rolled his eyes.

"I do, I was just trying to be sure. Also, there's a Ministry function in two weeks or so, and my parents ordered me to bring a date, I have no idea why. I was wondering if you'd be up to it?"

She blinked. Daphne hadn't told her about it, but again, Daphne only went to the Ministry functions that had high chances of having some sort of drama. Astoria considered her options for one moment.

"Sure. Should we wear matching robes?", she asked, mentally reviewing her more formal wardrobe. She had, perhaps, two formal robes, one for formal balls which she just changed colours with magic to make it seem new, and another for funerals. "I think I may have to change the colour of mine. Silver sounds nice."

Draco was horrified.

"Changing robe colour? What are you, a Weasley?", he snickered. "I'll get you some nice robes. Acromantula silk and all."

She stared at him.

"Are you paying?"

"Sure."

She nodded and sent him off on his way, mentioning that she had some paperwork to do, but honestly, Astoria just wanted one moment of peace and quiet for herself, analyzing the day through chewing.

Weasley's visit had been… Odd. She'd have thought both Potter and Weasley would've come to her office to request the genetic testing, but again, Astoria had only told that to Weasley. Maybe Weasley and Potter had discussed it, and Potter asked her to come while he was at work? Still, wouldn't Gryffindor Potter care about the health of any future children of his enough to be involved in such proceedings? Would he care more about his job (whatever it was) than his children? She'd have a stern talking with him about the subject, Astoria decided, fishing another cookie from the tin.

And the whole Ministry-function-with-Draco thing was weird. Draco Malfoy, if she wasn't too mistaken, normally took Pansy as his date - at least he used to, when she was still reading The Daily Prophet's social colum -, and now her? She remembered, hazily as ever, some talk in the Common Room about the two being bethroted; what had happened to that? Had it been the war? Astoria was in the Great Hall when Pansy pointed at Potter, screaming about taking him to Voldemort. Considering Draco had come out of the war with a more or less perfect social standing, maybe it was that?

She finished her cookies, closed the tin, and decided it was high time to book it. Of course, she met someone in the waiting room.

"Miss Greengrass,", Theodore Nott, slimy as always, greeted her. She did her best not to dry heave. "It's nice to see you."

Natalie smiled at him, and Astoria finally connected the dots - the pureblood she had been seeing was Nott. Of course.

Astoria remembered Nott from her childhood, their parents close buddies (and both Death Eaters, as she'd learn later) who brought their kids over each other's houses weekly - Nott was slimy and used to play a lot with Daphne, but Daphne mostly ignored him and as such, he turned his sights to Astoria. Astoria, at the time, found playing with him boring, so she quickly complained to her mother she'd rather spend her time with Luna than with her father. She received a curse for this insolence, but her father sent her to the Lovegood household anyway - she'd have to wager it was due to aunt Pandora's influence on her father - under the banner of "strengthening family ties" or something. Astoria didn't really care, at the time, too busy going to play with Luna.

Still, Astoria did her best to be polite. If he was courting Natalie, he probably liked her. _Probably._ She still didn't trust Nott.

"Theodore,", she said, in the end, nodding briefly to him. He stared at her, and Astoria could feel her skin getting slimy. "Hey, Natalie, I'll be going, okay? I'm going to the grocery store. Do you need anything?"

Natalie shook her head.

"I might be coming late today, okay?", Natalie pratically purrs, but by Merlin, she glows. Astoria contains her stomach from turning. _Nott._ Ugh. "So don't worry."

"Sure. See you,", Astoria said, waving her hand and moving to the door, pratically marching to the safety of the streets. When the bright yellow lights hit her eyes, Astoria sighs and goes her way home, stopping by the grocery store, and bumping into Draco there, the blonde picking up what seems like snacks.

"Hello, again,", he greets, not even looking at her. Astoria picks up a bag of chips, and yawns. "Good to know that's the effect of my presence."

"Sorry, I'm feeling slimy. Can you believe Theodore Nott was in my waiting room? Ugh.", Draco seems genuinely surprised, and Astoria remembers, a bit late, that they were friends. Oops. "I mean, nothing against him, but he always seemed so slimy when we used to play."

"His father breeds snakes, and he has kept the family job. Maybe that's why,", Draco suggested, as they moved together through the aisles. She grabbed some black licorice and kept her stride. "He always seemed normal to me."

"You two have a lot in common,", Astoria replied, trying to remember if she what she needed were carrots or potatoes. Luna had mentioned, vaguely, some spanish dish she had wanted to try, but Astoria couldn't remember what it was. "Rich. Pureblood. Slimy snakes."

"Thanks.", Draco rolled his eyes. "You're pretty slimy yourself, too. Slytherin and all."

Wait, maybe it was tomatoes. She strolled to the vegetables and fruits corner, with Draco on her heels.

"Yeah, sure. Me, slimy? Like Nott? The day I'm like him is the day I run away to the wilderness of Canada and change my name to something utterly ridiculous and baffling, like yours."

"First thing, wow,", he wheezed, and Astoria decided, analyzing a tomato, that maybe it was all three of the missing items. "Second, my name is perfectly good, and there were many Dracos of renown on the Black family tree."

"Name _one_."

The generic sounding grocery store music hit her ears, and Astoria finished picking up the tomatoes, going for the carrots, Draco still behind her. Her peace lasted until she had weighted everything, when Draco seemed to pipe up.

"Draconius Black, inventor of the Bone-Breaking spell,", he said, and Astoria was glad she had decided for self-service. Astoria looked at him with horror.

"Did your mother make you decorate the family tree?"

"Yours didn't?", Draco replied, sounding scandalized. Astoria was still horrified. Merlin, what the hell.

"No! The Greengrass family goes back to the 11th century, and the Blacks goes _way back_ than mine! What did you do? Did you break some precious heirloom?"

Draco blushed, and Astoria knew he had done something to receive that punishment. She wasn't sure what she disliked more - her father's Crucios or having to decorate her entire family tree. Both sounded terrible.

"Listen, at least I know…", he started some rant or another, while they walked together through the aisles, and Astoria noticed how terribly domestic that was. Well, as domestic as she saw the others, actually; her father and mother seemed to hate each other more than they had ever loved each other, putting a front in public only. It was hers (and every other pureblood, she assumed) usual. She only noticed something wrong when she went to Luna's house, when her mother was still alive, and her aunt and uncle were sickeningly sweet. After her aunt Pandora had died, although, that had ceased, but it had been imprinted in her mind anyway.

Astoria blinked quickly, going through the motions of the self-service while Draco waited for her, still rambling, tiptoeing dangerously close to having a full Auror team drop from the ceiling on them.

"Don't you like the Statue, Draco?", Astoria said, sweetly as she could manage in a whisper, and that made him shut up. The sweet sound of the stock music hit her ears, and Astoria felt a bit bad for shutting him up that way, even if it were a neccessity. "Sorry."

"No, it's alright. I rather like not making a scene,", he replied, shifting the weight on his feet. Astoria nodded quietly. "I don't like Aurors."

"Who does,", she huffs, bagging her stuff. Before she was able to escape to France, they had come to her house, claiming (rightfully) her father was a Death Eater and as such, they'd have to comb through the manor. She _still_ didn't see how her fanciest robe was a Death Eater weapon when it was pink and frilly. "Noisy gits, all of them."

"They were in your house, too?", Draco asked, unloading his basket, and Astoria nodded. "I keep forgetting your father was… One of us."

"Don't say it like that, like it was some dueling club.", Astoria rolled her eyes, and Draco blushed slightly.

"Sorry. What was your father's reason to join? He never seemed like the type, you know, having raised you and all."

Astoria shrugged, patiently waiting for Draco to man the credit card.

"I was always the family's black sheep, you know. Also, I think it was about his bethroted running away with a muggleborn or something around that. He never disclosed, honestly.", Astoria paused, frowning. "Did _your_ father tell why? I can't imagine…"

"Oh, believe me, he was quite vocal about it,", Draco replied, sarcastically. Astoria couldn't imagine it. Draco started bagging his groceries quite violently, and Astoria wondered what his mind was playing. "All those muggleborns, coming up and taking a pureblood's jobs and wives… Very dramatic."

At least she already knew it wasn't from his mother. Astoria offered him her free hand, and he gave her a confused look;

"Then come on, Draco. Let's celebrate our muggleborn-hating fathers by keeping on living these absolutely muggle lives,", she smiled, and Draco, blinking quickly, nodded.

"Sure."


	8. Chapter 8

The next day started rather well to Astoria. She woke up actually _wanting_ to get out of bed, which was always welcome. She bathed, dressed, and was ready to get some breakfast when she saw Natalie sitting on the table, reading with a frown a stack of papers. Astoria wasn't going to ask what it was, but she had to admit that the blazon of Gringotts there had picked her curiosity.

Still, it was none of Astoria's business. She served herself some coffee and decided today was a great day for toast, picking up the bread and waiving her wand to get the butter, another waive serving her coffee.

"Hey, Tori,", Natalie's voice called out, the familiar nickname soft and sweet. Astoria turned to Natalie, the girl's brown hair in a messy bun that resembled a rat's nest. "Could you help me with a thing?"

Astoria blinked, and nodded quickly as she picked her coffee mug, setting her untoasted toast in a platter before sitting in front of Natalie.

"Yeah, sure. What it is?", Astoria asked, taking a sip out of her coffee. She really would've prefered tea, but Natalie had made the pot, and honestly, Astoria wasn't going to let it go to waste.

Natalie coughed and arranged the papers in order, passing them to Astoria silently. Astoria read through the first lines and felt like she was seeing some sort of joke.

"A bethrotal contract?", Astoria asked, skimming through it. Natalie nodded.

"Yeah, Theo proposed yesterday. I got a ring,", she waved her hand, showing off a engagement ring with sapphires and obsidians, the colors of the House of Nott, ", and that. Theo said I should see if it suits my tastes, and I have been reading that for an hour, but honestly, it all just sounds like pureblood nonsense. I mean, a _dowry_? A monthly _allowance_? Which child can get my surname? I don't get it. I don't get half of it. Honestly, I'm just wondering if I can keep my job."

Astoria could comprehend Natalie's confusion - the girl was a halfblood, but she had been raised as a muggle. As such, she hadn't gotten the ever so _delightful_ and utterly boring lessons Astoria had gotten on that subject.

She sighed.

"Alright, how about this: after work, I go with you through this and explain every little thing. How much time you got to read this?", Astoria asked, handing Natalie the papers - heavy, cream, good quality. What else had she expected from Nott?

Natalie shrugged.

"He told me to take my time,", Natalie answered, pausing briefly, playing with a corner of the paper stack."I have no idea what I should do if it doesn't 'suit my tastes'. Can he end the engagement, bethrotal, whatever you call it?"

Astoria considered the question for a moment, biting into her toast, drinking the lukewarm coffee.

Theorically, Theo _could_ \- he had begun it, and as easily he could end it. Natalie would have to give back the ring, and that was it. On the other hand, however, he had given her a copy of the bethrotal contract for her perusal, a practice normally done from the interested party to the family head. Considering that her family had been killed by the Dark Lord, it made Natalie head of her family, and as such, if she found the contract unsatisfying, _she_ could end it or, if she wasn't feeling like taking such drastic measures, Natalie could petition for some changes in the terms of it.

It was all a very murky, theorically grey law area, and the sole reason Astoria had decided against becoming a magical lawyer.

She told as much as she knew to Natalie, who seemed surprised she could edit some terms of the contract. Astoria made a mental note to rekindle her friendship with Nott to solely fuck him up, and decided that maybe having someone that was good with the wizard law with her to check that contract might be a good idea.

Who of her (admitedly small) circle of people knew wizard law? Luna definitly not, Daphne didn't, Blaise maybe, Draco… Perhaps? She had no idea. Draco probably could help her - his father was a lawyer for the rich for a time after the end of the First War, if she remembered her father's rants correctly.

Actually, now that she thought of it, if someone decided to propose, would it still be needed to run through her father? He had more or less taken her away from the family, only still letting her in name because he had the faint hope she would continue the Greengrass name.

Alas, Astoria had no plans to name any of her possible children Greengrass. If she wasn't doing the whole "not contacting father or mother at all since they said it so" thing, she'd kindly remind them Daphne was the heir to the family and as such, it was her duty to carry out the family name, not hers.

Astoria rose up, waived her dishes into the sink, and with that, the two of them left the paper stack behind, going to their shared job, ready to face another day of moms and babies. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to deal with any magical people that day.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't by her side. She was visited by Luna, who carried something that looked incredibly like a pig, saddled in blankets, a heavy bag by her side.

"Is that going to attack me?", Astoria asked, pointing at it. "And you don't need a baby to come into my office, you know."

"Oh, no, no, mrs. Piggie is very docile,", Luna smiled, touching its snout with a well-manicured finger. Maybe it wasn't magical. "And while yes, I'm aware, but what's the fun in that? Besides, I still have to take mrs. Piggie here to Rolf's house."

Astoria stared to the pig saddled in a blanket and to Luna, humming in acceptance. At least mrs. Piggie was real.

"What brings you here, Luna? I'm sure mrs. Piggie doesn't need a doctor,", Astoria asked, pointing a pen at Luna. "And I'm quite sure you don't, too, so spill."

"A little bird told me about a Ministry ball you're going.", Luna then smiled, and mrs. Piggie made this weird sound that was a cross between a pig's squee and a baby bird. Astoria put it back on the "magical animal" list. "And by a little bird, it means _Daphne_. She saw your name side by side with another one. I think you know who."

Astoria let her head fall. She couldn't have one day of peace.

"I'm going to change my name and move to Siberia. I can't believe this double-crossing I'm suffering."

Luna simply giggled as an answer.

"There's no need for that. Daphne said she'd make sure to help you choose a decent robe and all that. And don't worry, if Draco proves himself to be a bore, I'll be there as well."

Astoria rose her head, facing Luna. That was new - Luna normally avoided those sort of functions like the plague.

"You will?", Astoria asked, wondering for a moment if she knew when this hellish Ministry function was, or what even was about. Considering _Luna,_ of all people, was going, although, it was probably just some lame excuse for purebloods to gossip and make money fly at frivolous projects - the usual.

"Yes, I need funding for a six month trip through the Amazon. Matheus sent me a letter, and he said that, if I came back, he'd show me some nice stuff,", Luna smiled, glowing so brightly Astoria could have done her UV ray treatment right there.

"I can't _believe_ I'll be getting a dolphin river nephew in a year,", Astoria mumbled, getting a soft, chiming laugh from Luna.

"I'll even name it after you,", Luna replied, easily. Astoria smiled to her.

After Luna, her day was filled with moms and dads and babies, passing in a blur to the point where she's barely sure if she has the matching sets right in her memory. The last baby does this thrifty "puke all over because I can" act, although, so Astoria commits mrs. and mr. pukeybaby to memory as she smiles, feeling gross and slimy and really wishing she could break the Statue without having Aurors descend from the ceiling.

"It's not an issue, so don't worry,", she smiles, as professionally as she can manage. The baby is five months old, so it's only milk. Milk produced by a stranger's body. Astoria thanked mentally her mother for the lessons in keeping a straight face. "It'll stop in a few hours, so try to keep him hydrated and avoid contact with strangers. If this keeps up, it might be a bacterial infection, so please go to a hospital directly."

They parents thank her profusely, red as tomatoes, and as soon as they're out of her door, Astoria whips out her wand and _Tergeos_ herself, but the slimy feeling is a constant. She wonders if she can use an _Aguamenti_ without causing water damage to her office, and decides against, simply using a bit to splash her face with some water, and fetching the small vial of peppermint oil she kept on for the kind of special occasions she dreaded to have to use. If she used a bit under her nose, well, no one had to know.

Astoria and Natalie went home, with Natalie commenting on so-and-so's clothes and on whatever in Merlin's name was mrs. Piggie. Natalie was sure it was a flying pig, while Astoria had already decided that she'd prod Luna for answers later that week.

They reached their apartment quickly, and Astoria told Natalie she'd take a quick bath to get rid of baby vomit from her skin before getting into the contract. She probably had spent more time than what she'd normally would because when she got out - dressed in her best worst pajamas, the one with jam stains on it -, Draco was sitting by Natalie's side, pointing to something while explaining some concept or another.

Astoria blinked, using a spell to dry her hair, putting the dark mass in a quick ponytail, and sitting by their side, noticing the dark bags under Draco's eyes.

"So, what did I miss?", she asked, figuring it out Draco had probably got into the wrong apartment again (maybe she should get that wards he spoke about…), had seen the contract papers, and somehow got involved in this.

"You lost Draco noticing Theo had made what I hope was a mistake refering to the dowry, and having a full rant about it,", Natalie pointed out, a pen behind her ear, the contract already filled with blue ink. Astoria looked at Draco and smiled, and the blonde blinked quickly, before smiling briefly to her, too.

"Alright, let me see how much Nott tried to con out of you, Natalie, and how much I'll have to keep him under some dark magick spell for it,", Astoria joked, and Draco passed her the papers, their fingers touching for the briefest of seconds.

She had been right he'd be a good choice to analyse the contract, at least.


	9. Chapter 9

Astoria looked at her sister for twelve long seconds. Daphne stared back.

"I am not wearing _silver_. It makes me look like a sick kid,", Astoria said, looking at the fabric Daphne had chosen. "I'm already around sick kids enough, don't you think?"

Draco, acting as middleman, sighed, putting his head on the table, nested between thousands of swatches Daphne had brought in.

"The theme of the ball is _stars_ , Astoria, and stars are _silver_ ,", Daphne chided, huffing. "Besides, Malfoy here own Slytherin Best Dressed during the Yule ball wearing silver. You're going to look fine."

"The sun is a star and it is yellow. Can't I wear gold? Gold looks much better on me,", Astoria whined, fully aware of what she was doing. Daphne looked at her through confused eyes.

"Astoria, the sun is not a star. Stars only appear at night. You're wearing silver, and that's final."

Astoria looked at Daphne for a long, long moment.

"Daphne, I'm not sure how you graduated without taking Astronomy, but the sun is very much a star. And just let me wear gold, it'll be fine.", Daphne didn't seem too convinced about it, so Astoria rolled her eyes. "You can do my hair, if that helps you."

Astoria absolutely didn't want Daphne to do her hair, but that would be the only thing that's placate her sister. She was barely sure how this had even started, and while she discussed the finer points of how, exactly, her hair should look like to this mysterious star-theme Ministry ball.

It had all started that morning, or to Astoria, 3 am. She was eating a ham sandwich, pouring over the Potter/Weasley genealogy and marking down with pink highlighter the places where they matched. Boring work, but she was planning to be a bitch and get paid well for this.

She had just highlighted the entirety of some minor matching family when Luna waltzed in, Draco by her heels.

"Maybe I should invest in the wards,", she mused, deadpan. Luna simply smiled at her. "It's beyond late, Luna, Draco, so I'd really appreciate a very quick and simple explanation of why you two are here."

The two of them looked at each other, and Luna shrugged, going to make herself tea.

"Well, I had a sudden desire to have some tea, but Rolf's flat was severely lacking in that department,", Luna replied, as Draco sat down, analyzing the genealogy for a split second. Astoria looked at him, waiting for some proper semblance of an answer, and Draco looked at her with dark bags under his eyes.

"I forgot to buy medicine,", he replied, in a low voice, and Astoria nodded. He then looked at the giant piece of paper she was working on, and frowned. "What are you up to? I recognize Milicent's great-great-grandmother on that. Where is… Merlin, I can't believe Potter and Weasley are Milicent's cousins. She's going to have a fit."

"I just felt like I was being hit by three lawsuits. Maybe more,", Astoria pointed, and Draco rolled his eyes. "But yes, Bulstrode is Potter and Weasley's cousin. You're too."

Draco seemed shell-shocked at that, and Astoria quickly pointed out a common Black family ancestor between then - Appius Malfoy, born 1720, natural death in 1835, married to Alhena Black.

"I think I'm going to die. I can't believe I'm related to Potter,", Draco said, and Astoria wondered if he ever got out of his drama phase. "Of all people, _me_ , related to Harry Potter. What an awful fate."

"It was over two centuries ago, Draco, get over your crush,", Astoria replied, going back to her work, ignoring how Draco blushed.

"I did not have a crush on him, Astoria!", he sounded scandalized. Astoria was lately reminded purebloods still had some prejudice about the subject, and was ready to apologize for her offense on his honor or something, when Luna chirped in, sitting with a mug of steaming tea, the smell of lavender hitting her nostrils. Astoria didn't remember buying lavender tea.

"Oh, I quite remember a lot of wrackspurts around your head, Draco, and they buzzed very loudly whenever you looked at the Gryffindor table. Can I safely assume it was to Hermione, then?", Luna asked, blinking with innocence as she sat. Draco blushed, and Luna looked over Astoria's work. "Oh, look, that's my surname. Do you think we can find more cousins, Astoria?"

"I'm quite sure half of them are dead, but yeah, sure.", Astoria nodded, and until the sun rose, a few hours later, they had found that Astoria had several cousins in common with the Potters - which came as a surprise, really.

What came more as a surprise, ten minutes after Luna left to get the sleep-deficient trio coffee, was Daphne's arrival with a pile of fabric swatches, and while Astoria was sure a coffee run shouldn't last more than two hours, there she was, with no coffee and up to her ears in fabric.

"Listen, Daphne, I know you care, but this is just a Ministry function, isn't it? Why, suddenly, the need to me to be well dressed?", Astoria cried, fed up. Daphne looked at her with concern clear in her clear gray eyes, and then turned to Draco, who looked at Astoria with confusion.

"You don't know what you're going to?", the two of them asked, at the same time, and Astoria had a brief flashback to her childhood, where her parents would berate her for not wearing what was _appropriate_ , without briefing her on what "appropriate" meant.

Daphne sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, and Draco bit his lower lip.

"It's the Victory Ball. To commemorate the Battle of Hogwarts,", Luna's voice said, ringing clear, and Astoria turned to see the blonde enter the room with a bag of groceries. "Sorry, I got lost. There were some Blibbering Humdingers near the coffee shop, and then there were more things."

Luna sat down, and Astoria noticed she now had a new jacket on top of her clothes. She decided to not question it, and Daphne sighed.

"Look, I'll just grab one of your robes and use it as a model, okay? I'll bring it any of these days,", Daphne waved, and with a wand wave, the swatches flew to her arms, the blonde's eyes carefully analyzing Astoria. "I'll be going."

"Sure.", was Astoria murmured reply, as she grabbed Luna's grocery bag, finding some cherry jam and toast. It was no coffee, but that'd make do, she reasoned to herself.

When Daphne was long gone, Draco spoke up.

"Did you… genuinely not know?"

Astoria shrugged.

"Depression makes it hard for me to keep dates up. If I were to be honest, I didn't even know what day it was at the time, so,", she shrugged again. Draco looked at her flabbergasted.

"It has always been like this, so don't worry too much,", Luna completed, and Draco's grey eyes went to Luna. She cast a time spell, and Astoria almost spit her sandwich, rising up at the same time as Draco.

"I'm late.", the two of them said, at the same time. Astoria waived the paper to roll itself, and made a break for her room, picking up some clothes that seemed clean and hearing the flat's door open and close quickly. She discarded that and went to get ready for a day's work, taking the quickest bath - just enough time to get rid of the jam in her face and hair, really - and dressing up as fast as she could.

When she got out of the bathroom, dressed, she found Luna had left her kitchen neat and tidy, with a small note telling Astoria where she had put the groceries, and Astoria smiled to herself, grabbing the paper and heading out, her purse flying to her with an _Accio_.

Before heading off, however, she had to go upstairs, meet her arithmathician.

It was a coincidence that they lived in the same building, and Astoria had found it accidentally too - when she kept watch on Natalie's owl and saw it rising up to the thirteenth floor. She had asked the arithmathcian if she'd like for Astoria to home deliver instead, since it'd be less taxing for both owls, and they had agreed as long as Astoria dealt with their elf. Apparently, from what Astoria was able to hear from Daphne, Marietta Edgecombe had suffered some sort of hex that spelled " _sneak_ " in pimples in her face. Very cruel, really, and Pomfrey had been useless. After a while, supposedly, it faded, but left her with scars shaped like words.

No wonder, Astoria thought to herself while taking the elevator upstairs, that Marietta had decided to live alone, in a muggle building, with only an elf and black curtains.

Well, Astoria assumed about the black curtains. What little she could see inside Marietta's flat came from the hallway's light.

She knocked on the door gently, three times, and took a deep breath.

"Edgecombe, it's me, Astoria, and I have something for you", she called, and waited to hear the familiar sound of small feet walking and stopping. "There's no one around."

The locks were unmade, and big black eyes peered at Astoria. She passed the house elf the roll of paper, and it stared at the paper.

"How much generations?", it asked, croaking voice echoing in the empty hallway. Astoria never quite liked that effect.

"Ten generations each. I'm guessing five Galleons?", Astoria cocked her head to the side, trying to remember - the last person who had asked for a ten generation overview had been Bulstrode, when she married Goyle, last year. If she remembered well enough, Daphne had gone to that wedding.

"That's right, ma'am. It'll be ready in three days time,", it said, and promptly closed the door on Astoria's face.

She took a deep breath and went on her way, reaching her office five minutes before the first consultation - an older pureblood witch whose toddler was, if their slightly purple face any indication, suffering from some magical malady or another - and nodding briefly to Natalie, slipping inside the consultory and opening an window.

Work was mechanical as it was - the pureblood lady's toddler did have some magical disease, and the rest of the child stream was full of normal muggle maladies. A work's day, really, Astoria figured, biting the sandwich Luna had left with Natalie at some point.

What wasn't part of a work's day, however, was Harry Potter knocking gently on her door, during lunch hours. Astoria always tried to have fifteen minutes to herself, and she rarely was able to appreciate it.

"One second,", she called, Vanishing the crumbs away. Her desk looked more or less tidied up, so she passed a hand over her mouth and put on her best retail smile on. "Come in!"

Harry Potter comes in with a fussy James, the baby looking feverish and bashful. Astoria quickly check James' file, eyes looking through the birthday quickly as she didsome math, and nodded to herself.

"Sorry to interrupt your lunch, doctor Greengrass, but the caretakers at James' kindergarden told me he was sick. I took him home and fed him the medicine, but his fever hasn't given out,", he explained, and Astoria gave James a small felt cube he was eyeing. "I'm not sure what I did wrong."

Ah, the joys of a first-time parent. Astoria was a bit confused _Harry Potter_ , who probably was raised by the best tutors money could buy (but who dressed like a hobo during school, for some reason Astoria couldn't fathom), didn't know about magical settling, but well, maybe his tutors didn't feel like explaining it to him. After, it'd just look like a flu that wouldn't quite quit.

"Don't worry, mr. Potter, this is absolutely normal. James' magic is just settling, and as such, it causes a fever to go through his body,", she assured him, a polite smile on her face. "It's absolutely normal, and the day after his birthday it'll go away. Muggle medicine won't work on him, however, but it's said that keeping a baby during this week in magically heavy rooms is good for their health."

Harry Potter frowned.

"It's said? Shouldn't there be, I don't know, _evidence_ attesting to that?", he asked, and Astoria wondered briefly if this was some Auror investigation. She shrugged.

"Wizards aren't very prone to experimentation, as we both know, and besides, _all rooms_ in a wizarding house are blanketed by magic. It becomes hard to prove something when it's the normal condition,", she pointed out, and Potter nodded. "Anyway, keep James' hydrated, in a room with at least one magical item, mr. Potter, and he'll be alright before you know it."

Potter nodded, and seemed like he wanted to ask something else. She kept waiting. It wasn't like she had half a sandwich to finish. She tried to remember where she had stacked the fliers with the informations on magical settling for the occasional muggleborn parent who wandered through her office.

"Is… Is something like this going to happen again?", he asked, in the end, seeming helpless as he looked at James.

Maybe Natalie had the fliers? Possibly. She'd have to check, but there was no way to do so with Potter there.

"Yes, it is. Once more at eleven, and then again at seventeen. Occasionally, there'll be a third instance, at twenty-one, but it's rare. I think the last case happened in the 1600s, if I'm honest.", Astoria frowned - she didn't like not knowing something for certain. She'd have to research it later. "Again, don't worry, mr. Potter. I'd wager Natalie has some pamphlets on the subject, if you'd like to have some literature on it."

Potter nodded once more and rose up, taking softly the cube James was distracting himself with and putting it on Astoria's table again. She rose up, walking after him to make sure he'd be gone for the little precious time she still had of her lunch, and watched as Natalie, smiling brightly at the saviour of the wizarding world (Astoria, as thankful as she was she wasn't living in a dictatorship, found the term corny - a french opinion she had never given up.) as she handled him the papers.

After Potter was gone, the waiting room was empty, and Astoria smirked to herself.

"You know, I think Potter can take a concubine, if you ask nicely. I'm sure Nott won't mind,", she drawled, and Natalie looked at her with mock offense. Astoria put a hand to her face, and tried her best to do an impression of Natalie's voice. "Oh, mr. Potter, it's no issue, I'm so sorry, I've heard you have an eight-pack, that you're shredded - "

"You're sounding like Draco Malfoy,", Natalie said, and Astoria paused suddenly. Was she?"Draco Malfoy during third year, at that. Potter _this_ , Potter _that_. I don't think I said so much about his abs."

She _was_ speaking like Draco used to. Astoria frowned - it seemed like a rather permanent fixture on her face.

"But yes, I do admit I heard he's absolutely ripped. I mean, all that Auror training and all, and let's be honest while we're alone - the shirt he's wearing is form-fitting. Did you see anything?", Natalie asked, with a smile on her face, and Astoria laughed, shaking her head, to Natalie's dissapointment. "Alright, miss, now go finish your lunch. If any of the mums tries to barge in, I'll even break the Statue for you. Now go."

Astoria obeyed, and took off Potter from her mind.


	10. Chapter 10

Astoria only noticed it was Valentine's day soon because Natalie insisted in spending a weekend cooped up, making up red paper hearts for the mothers with nice messages, and a stapler that she used to staple small, round chocolates in white plastic packages into it for the kids.

"You could do that way easier with magic, " Astoria complained, as she always did during that time of the year, feeling awkward around the scissors. She prefered a Severing charm, honestly, but if that was the way Natalie did, Astoria wasn't no one to say anything.

"It's nicer this way,", Natalie hummed, cutting proficiently the red paper into hearts. "Besides, doesn't it make you feel useful?"

"The only thing I feel is pain,", Astoria muttered, frowning when she heard a knocking on her door. She thanked Merlin for the interruption and abandoned her half cut heart in the floor, avoiding the pile of chocolate bags (half for the hearts, half for the small candy pot she kept around all times) and going for the door.

She expected Luna, maybe Nott, and if it were Draco he'd simply Alohomora'd his way inside; what she didn't expect was a man dressed as a syereotypical wizard.

"Halloween is a few months away,", she told him, and whoever he was huffed.

"I'm taking this isn't Draco's apartment,", he stated, and Astoria rose an eyebrow. Draco was receiving someone who was dressed like some knock-off Merlin? Now that was a curious event.

"Third door on the right, can't miss it,", she replied. "And tell Draco to tell his good buddy Astoria all about this."

The man nodded, and as soon as he left, she closed the door and went back to Natalie's heart-cutting party, picking up a chocolate in her way, pretending not to hear Natalie's mock protests.

Natalie simply looked at her with half-lidded eyes when her protests fell on deaf ears, and smiled.

"So, you're now Draco Malfoy's _good buddy,_ huh?", Natalie asked, ever so innocent, and her smile only grew when Astoria choked. "That's a _lovely_ term. Really."

Astoria glared at her with the most dignity she could, and Natalie kept to her hearts and scissors.

"And here I thought you were a badger. Haven't you been walking around with too many snakes?", Astoria asked, in turn, and Natalie smirked.

"If you want me to move out, spit it out instead of using metaphors,", she replied, not even raising her eyes, but laughter playing in her voice. "No, but really, what was so interesting?"

Astoria told, and Natalie looked at her.

"Oh my. _Unbelievable_.", Natalie seemed truly shocked, and then, laughter bubbled out of her lips as she abandoned her paper hearts and scissors, doubling herself over. Astoria wondered what was so funny. "I can't believe Draco Malfoy, of all people, is playing a muggle game!"

Astoria blinked.

"A _what_ now?", she asked, not sure if she'd heard right - and Natalie obliged, telling her about this odd game called _Torture Chambers and Basilisks._ She had probably heard wrong. Astoria couldn't fathom _Draco Malfoy,_ of all people, playing something that sounded… Well, rather silly.

She put it out of her mind and went back to being absolutely useless with a scissor.

Astoria forgot about _Oubliettes and Wyverns_ or whatever, and kept to her day-to-day. Valentine's days, as always, was a surreal experience - babies with chocolate-covered mouths and moms who just _loved_ the fact they were in a consultory instead of making more babies or something; Astoria knew because they quite enjoyed to complain.

She came back alone - Nott had picked up Natalie from work, like some sort of hopeless romantic -, and was surprised to see a owl in Natalie's owl rest. It was a funny looking owl, actually, with a giant head and small face, feathers of a matted grey and the longest tail Astoria had ever seen in a owl.

"Aren't you a silly fellow,", Astoria cooed, approaching the owl, noticing it had a letter in its talons with fancy script on the front. Looked like Astoria was getting a fancy new client. She picked up the water and food pots and smiled to the owl. "Just give me a moment and I'll get you some water and treats, okay?"

Astoria went to the kitchen, Accio-ing the boxed treats after filing the water pot, and turning her nose at the obnoxious treat smell. She turned the box, and rolled her eyes at the supposedly "bacon smell and flavor" that was "perfect for all owls!". But, if Natalie's Cathy - a barn owl with the most stupid name Astoria had ever seen, and she had lived with Daphne's George Wells III. She hated that owl, and the owl hated her right back.

Astoria took back the now filled pots to the owl rest, and gave it to the mysterious owl with the big head and small face. The owl peered into it for a second, and abandoned the letter while going for the food. She grabbed the letter, and looked at who sent it, frowning when she recognized the name.

She didn't know Pansy Parkinson had a kid. Well, maybe it was for some niece or cousin or something like that. Astoria decided she needed some tea, and set herself to make some before she read Parkinson's letter.

Pansy Parkinson never had been Astoria's friend, but she was Daphne's. Daphne, Pansy and Tracey had been in countless sleepovers in each other's houses, and Astoria was told to keep out of sights and out of mind. Pansy always seemed kind of stuck up, so she didn't really feel like she was losing something. Tracey, meanwhile, was clearly in for the prestige of it.

Astoria blinked, hearing the whistle of the kettle, and hummed to herself quietly as she waved her wand, making the tea make itself, and sliding to the chair, opening the letter the _proper_ way - with a slicing charm - and took a sip of her tea, picking up the letter.

 _My dearest,_ it started, in fancy penmanship, and Astoria rose one eyebrow. That was certainly a different way to begin a professional letter.

She kept reading, anyway.

 _My dearest, I'd like to wish you a happy Valentine's day. I have longed for you and your heart for long - since we first met, that fateful day in June, your birthday._

Astoria snorted. Her birthday wasn't in June, so this letter wasn't for her. The owl had got confused, and now Astoria had to read Parkinson's love letter to someone to find out who she should resend it.

Astoria just glided her eyes over the letter, a thousand love words directed at whoever the true recipient of this was, and spit her tea out when Draco's name appeared.

 _My dear Draco, I swear to you once again, I'll love you to the end of time, or the end of society, whichever comes first. With love, yours truly, Pansy._

Astoria blinked and Vanished the tea that had got on the parchment, rising up and closing the letter with a wand flick. Looked like she had delivery to do.

"You stay there,", she told Pansy's owl, and the owl seemed to nod for a second before hiding its head on its wings. Astoria got out of her own apartment, sticking her wand in her pocket, and walked the brief steps to Draco's empty flat. The door was closed, but she could hear the distant murmur of voices, and wondered if she was going to interrupt something.

"What's the chance,", she spoke to herself, knocking three times in quick succession. Something stopped and stirred inside the flat, and Astoria waited quietly - blinking quickly when she saw Draco. "Is… Is that dragon hide leather on your hood?"

It seemed like so, at least - he was wearing a Wizengamot robe, decorated in grey and green, with green dragon leather braided on the hood he was wearing. Draco looked over his shoulder and stepped outside, and Astoria was able to see a glimpse of a man dressed like one of the knight armor suits that Hogwarts had.

A snippet of the conversation she had with Natalie not even three days ago came back to her.

"Are you playing that game, er, _Wyverns and_ …?", she probably should've paid attention, Astoria cursed. Draco paled.

"Please don't tell my parents,", he pleaded, and Astoria nodded. "So, uh, what brings you here?"

"Parkinson sent me a letter. I think it was for you,", Astoria admitted, handing him the letter - that Draco uncerimouniously stuck in his robe pockets.

"Thanks. She, ah, actually sent it to _me_ first, but I had muggles over, so I couldn't exactly receive it. So I sent Johnnie to your apartment,", Draco explained, and Astoria nodded. Johnnie, too, was a stupid name. What _else_ she had expected? A sensible name?

"It's okay, but I must admit I read it, and if I should be honest with you, maybe you shouldn't accept whatever food she offers you,", Astoria told, and Draco nodded. "I'll leave you to your dragons and dungeons."

Draco nods again, and they part ways until actual, factual Valentine's day, where Draco comes into her office with a pink cookie box that he slides to her. She eyes it for a moment and opens it, fully aware that she, once again, won't be spending her lunch alone, and decides that she can eat and maintain some sort of polite chat at the same time.

"Thanks for alerting me about Pansy. Her letter, otherwise, would've come as…", he trailed off, eyes wandering to the corner where she kept toys for the older kids.

"Creepy?", Astoria suggested, and Draco nodded. "Well, why don't you tell me about those fancy robes I saw you wearing? I have to admit my curiosity is picqued."

Draco sighs and adjusts himself better in his chair, while Astoria bites into the soft, still warm cookie.

"Remember the party I was invited to?"

"The one with no invite?"

"Exactly,", Draco nodded, and spun her a tale of how he accidentally had butted in a conversation about dragons, having forgotten himself and told the group a wizard would be able to defeat a dragon if he had other wizards with him. The two that were speaking, in turn, asked Draco if the party could be composed of a knight, a bard and an assassin, they'd be able to defeat said dragon, and Draco had answered that yes, as long as the bard kept quiet.

"So they checked the rules, and I was surprisingly _correct_. They invited me to be the wizard of their party, and since then I've been playing this odd roleplaying game with them. It's not much of an issue to me, since many of the game's rules actually match with the wizarding world. It's just a question of not bringing modern politics into it, but again, it's not an issue since it'd be set around the Founders' time."

Astoria blinked, genuinely surprised.

"Don't muggles have the most interesting stuff, huh?", she asked, more to herself than to Draco, and watched as he cast a Tempus spell. She scowled. "Seems like both of us have to return to our jobs, huh?"

"Seems like it,", Draco answered, rising up, and Astoria Vanished the crumbs. "I'll bring you tea next time."

Astoria smiled, feeling soft as Draco opened up the door, a middle-aged woman peering inside while playing idly with her five year old.

"I like chamomile tea,", she answered, and Draco turned to give her the barest of smiles.

"I know, you're _always_ making it,", Draco replied, leaving, while Natalie let inside the peering woman with her child. Astoria smiled at her, accepting surreptitiously the file Natalie gave her, and looking into it for a split second before smiling to the woman.

"So, mrs. Allison, how's little Valerie? Has she recovered from her flu?", Astoria asked, falling into the mechanics of her professionalism, and letting it guide her through her job.

When it was over, Astoria asked if the woman had any other questions, letting Valerie pick up a lollipop for herself ("for being a good girl,", Astoria had said, offering the pot that Natalie kept well-stocked), and she waited patiently as the woman looked into Astoria's face.

"Do excuse me for being noisy, but was that your boyfriend before?", mrs. Allison asked, and Astoria choked on her own spit. It gave the woman the wrong impression, because she _clapped_ her hands together. "I _knew_ it! You two look lovely together."

Astoria gave the woman a tight smile.

"Sorry, mrs. Allison, we're not a couple. We went to the same boarding school, and now he's…", Astoria paused. A friend, probably. A pest, maybe. "A neighbour. He likes to see if I have eaten lunch, that's all."

Astoria didn't give any sort of satisfaction about who her friends were to her parents, but now here she was, having to try to explain to a muggle in vague terms how she knew Draco.

The woman at least had the decency to blush.

"Sorry, doctor Greengrass. You always seemed so lonely, and if you allow me some honesty, that boy is quite handsome,", mrs. Allison answered, grinning sheepishly, and Astoria smiled as professionally as she could. "Besides, it's Valentine's day, and the you both seemed so comfortable together, I just assumed. Do forgive me."

"Don't worry, mrs. Allison. Is that all?", Astoria decided that cutting this conversation by the root was the best action course, and joined her hands on the table.

The woman confirmed and rose up, with Valerie (face dyed blue, thanks to the lollipop) in tow, and she left. Astoria sighed as Natalie handed her the next file, and told the next woman to wait a bit, closing the door.

"Draco Malfoy dating me, huh?", Astoria mumbled to herself, waving her wand to clean the surface of her table, putting that conversation together with all others she deemed needless.


	11. Chapter 11

The elf knocked at three in the morning in Astoria's door, and for one brief second, she cursed all of her ancestors. She got out of bed - one of the few times she had been able to _actually_ fall asleep for more than three hours -, and grumbled her way to her coin purse. She half-wished Natalie was home to attend the door, but Natalie was out in a date;Wizengamot function with Nott, and as such, the duty of paying house elfs before dawn fell in Astoria's shoulders.

"Give me a second, here,", she mumbled feebly, as the elf knocked down again. Maybe she should use owls, like a normal person. But then, again, Edgecombe would probably just ignore the concept of appropriate time and a moody owl was worse than a moody house elf.

She fished the five galleons out of her purse and set to the door, feeling like a clumsy child as she walked, sleep still half-controlling her brain as she opened the door, lowering her eyes to meet the elf, who carried the original genealogy chart and the arithmancy papers.

"Five galleons,", the elf said, offering a free hand to Astoria. She put the coins delicately in the elf's hand, and the elf roughly shoved the papers to Astoria, disappearing with a pop soon after.

"Bloody house elfs with no sense of time,", she mumbled, picking the papers and deciding she could look over it tomorrow, after a good night of sleep.

However, sleep never came for her again, and Astoria managed to stare at her own ceiling for twenty minutes before groaning and kicking her covers aside, deciding to get ahead with Weasley's papers. She did spend an extra minute cursing Edgecombe's line and whatever descendants they may have, however, and set to work.

She was able to decipher two paragraphs that spelled _trouble_ before she heard knocks on her door, and frowned. Who could it be? It couldn't possibly be Draco, since he didn't know how to knock.

"Astoria, are you awake? I need your help,", Draco's muffled voice called, and Astoria wondered if the next person to come to her door would be Luna. She hoped it was.

She rose up, flicking her wand and setting some tea to make while she went to open the door. Chamomile sounded nice, since that'd probably make her fall asleep. Merlin knew Edgecombe's droning did the trick occasionally.

"Oh, thank Merlin,", Draco said after she opened her door, a tray with several small loaves of bread in his hands. Astoria wondered if she had been put in some sort of trance spell. "Listen, could you taste these? I was allowed to train for a baker, but I have no idea how to bake without spells, so I need someone else to taste these and tell me I haven't made a mess."

Astoria frowned, and looked at the bread Draco had brought, the blonde in front of her clicking his nails. _Anxiety_. She could recognize that.

"And here I remember buying you a cake because you couldn't bake,", Astoria said, indicating that he should come in. Draco huffed, an eye roll clear by his voice tone.

"I didn't know how to use a electric stove then. Malfoy Manor only deals in wooden burning stoves, like any proper pureblood should,", Draco scowled, and Astoria carefully controlled an eye roll of her own as they made their way to her small kitchen. She didn't remember _ever_ visiting the kitchens at her childhood home, nor Hogwarts. "I'd thought it worked with magic, but I had to…"

Draco started a long-winded explanation on how the Malfoys came to England, involving not one, but _three_ instances of running away from guards, one affair with a pureblood french princess, and _seven_ points where a baking spell saved whatever Malfoy it was' life.

Astoria wondered how much that story was embellished with the passing of time - Merlin knew that her mother had spun a similar story on how the Greengrasses has come out of Greece to England. She thought her family's was better, at least - more sirens, less bakers. A _lot_ of less bakers. Her mother also had told a tale about her own family, but it had been more common - taxes in 1820's Spain had been terrible, and as such, they moved to England. She figured it probably was the same thing for both her family and Draco's, with some lies spun in to make reality prettier.

"... And that's how the Malfoys came to England,", Draco concluded, as Astoria hummed, pouring her tea, the smell of chamomile filling the air. She flicked her wand, and butter came to the table. "We still have the original recipes in french, because the magic comes easier that way."

Astoria sat down, taking a sip of her tea and slicing the bread with her wand. She did have some sense of decency left to not butter her bread with her wand, and reached for a knife.

"You see, it's because the recipes were written with magical ink that does not fade, invented by...", Draco continued, unaware Astoria was only half-paying attention. She didn't mind - his droning on and on was the reason she hadn't needed to read Weasley-Potter's report.

She bit the bread, and flavors exploded in her mouth - well, as much flavor white bread and butter could have. She waved Draco to stop, and stop he did.

"Hold up, Draco, did you taste these?", she asked, and Draco's eye grew huge, nail clicking growing louder. _Wrong wording_ , she scowled to herself. "They're good. I'd probably pay a lot for this. Have one."

Draco nodded and obeyed her, Astoria passing him the butter and letting him taste it himself while she tried to go back to her reading.

… _taking in consideration the ties between the families of Black not only once, but_ _thrice_ _(Potter VII-C, V-D, and III-B , Weasley VIII-D, VII-A and III-C), it adds in a chance of 21.4224 % (per cent) of having…_

"It's good.", Draco said, the genuine awe in his voice breaking her concentration away from the dull text Edgecombe produced. "It's missing something… Maybe a more wooden flavor…?"

Astoria snorted, and Draco's eyes rose to meet hers.

"You're just saying that because you're used to the wood burning stove, Draco,", Astoria answered, smiling. She wasn't very sure why she thought a smile was necessary, but alas, there she was, smiling. "It's bound to have taste differences."

"Not this blatant, although.", Draco' looked at the bread through half-lidded eyes, like it had committed some unspeakable crime, and Astoria hummed as he rose up. "Keep these. I'll have to do more."

"You're spoiling me.", Astoria told him, and promptly bit her tongue. What _was_ that? Some sort of love potion, Astoria was sure. Maybe the lack of sleep was finally getting to her. She made a mental note to get herself a Dreamless Sleep for next week and gorge on it until the bags under her eyes were but a memory. "Do sleep, although. You have work tomorrow, after all."

Draco simply looked at her, but nodded.

"You're right. I'll be going, then."

"I'll accompany you to the door. Make sure you don't come back with more bread,", she joked, rising up. The walk was short (what else was expected?), and Astoria looked at Draco carefully. "Can I ask you something? Why did you knock? It's not your usual… Thing."

"I thought you'd appreciate me knocking for once, but if that's the case, I'll just go right back to opening your door with spells,", Draco rolled his eyes, and Astoria huffed.

"Go take a nap, Draco, it'll do you wonders. I mean, you're _knocking._ What's next, you're going to tell me you feel like adopting a kitten? That'd be out of character for you.", Draco paused, an idea seeming to form in his eyes, and Astoria had to control herself. "Really. As your doctor, I'm recommending you sleep through this matter and avoid baking more bread,", she said, and sighed. "At least think about the subject, okay?"

Draco hummed an answer, said his goodbyes, and left. Astoria sighed again and closed her door, deciding to try to sleep again. She checked the time, just in case, and groaned when she noticed that she'd need to be awake in an hour or so anyway, so she might as well stay awake and _try_ to read through Weasley's papers. She cursed Edgecombe once more, although, just to try to make the message go through. Just in case.

Astoria sighed and brew more tea, deciding she could sleep tomorrow, arranging the papers with a wand wave, starting to read again.

However, the more she read, the more worried she got - Astoria never realized how much cross-breeding there was between one of the Sacred Twenty Eight and the Potters who, while not one of the Twenty Eight _de facto,_ was one or two generations of marriage with purebloods away from being part of the group.

Astoria decided to skip the arithmetical part of it, jumping through familiar family names and long gone people until the closure of it, a simple one page with one paragraph.

 _In accordance with the data given before, and putting it into use in the formula provided by the Magical Institute for Magical Maladies of Zurich for the accurate calculation of the probability of a child having bodily and magical resistance to potions, the results indicate a 74.6291 % (per cent) of chance that a baby fathered/mothered by H. Potter and G. Weasley to be resistant to potions._

Oh. Oh, _shit_. That was bad. She had never seen such numbers. Three out of four chances...

Astoria shook her head - bad was just the beginning of it. She stared at the numbers, and wondered how, exactly, she was going to break that down to Weasley and Potter.

That was how Natalie found her, actually - Astoria, still sitting in the exact same spot, staring at the paper, and Natalie coming home from some Wizengamot function or another, still dressed in the nice fuchsia and mint green robes Astoria had seem Natalie gleaming in the owl-order catalogues.

"Hey, Tori?", Natalie called, a hand in Astoria's shoulder, soft and warm. "Are you okay? Did you get a cold? Because I can cancel all the appointments, you know. Merlin knows the kids don't need any extra sickness."

Astoria shooked her head and just passed the accursed page to Natalie, who scanned the few lines and gasped.

"Oh. That's… So _sad_. I'll draft the letter summoning the two today. When it's a good time?", Astoria cracked a smile. Natalie was already in overdrive. "Maybe monday? It'll give us time to think, but if we do it friday, i'll let them ponder this during the weekend. Hmmm…"

Astoria took a deep breath and rose from her chair, blood flowing to her stiff legs and making her wince.

"I vote for friday and for a bath, or else we'll be late,", Astoria chided, and Natalie rolled her eyes. "Come on, Nat, we can think about work while we do it. Let's first get ourselves ready for a new day, yeah?"

"You're the boss, boss,", the other girl cracked, flicking her wand to undo the complicated hairstyle she was wearing - a crown braid over her head with half of Natalie's hair flowing freely, the braid itself braided with a mint silk thread. It looked like something one of the witch-princesses her mother's stories were so fond of would have as a hairdo. Natalie then frowned, and Astoria, already on her way to her room, hit the wall when Natalie's voice floated through. "Hey, did you go out to buy bread?"

Astoria sputtered, checking her nose and finding it unscatted.

"That's a long story, really, and it involves heavily Draco. Do you really want to listen to it?", Astoria asked, going through the sea of clothes currently in her floor. She'd either have to wash it all or see what was clean and what wasn't.

"Astoria, that's the dumbest question I've ever heard,", Natalie replied, voice moving. "Of course I want to hear whatever story it is! It's bound to be juicy."

If blood was juice, then yeah, maybe. Astoria took a deep breath and started to retell Draco's long tale of his family's escape from France, including every damn detail she could remember, pausing briefly to take a quick bath and to extend Natalie the same courtesy.

When she finished Draco Malfoy's family's _fantastic_ origin, Natalie looked at her skeptically, arranging her table with a flick of her wand.

"Look, I can't believe even that Draco's ancestor would act like that, so I'm sure it's made up,", Natalie rolled her eyes, huffing. "I mean, didn't the Malfoys run away during the battle?"

"I have no idea,", Astoria told, rather truthfully, having hidden inside Hogwarts, at the same time the first patient of the day, a halfblood witch, knocked on the door. Natalie silently gave her the file case, and Astoria put her mind to work.


	12. Chapter 12

The meeting with the Potter-Weasleys is scheduled for friday, so Astoria has little less than three days to think how, exactly, she's going to say "hey, hope you like my rates, because there's a high chance you're going to have to pay them for more than one child!" politely. So far, sitting in her blissfully empty office during lunch, a sandwich (courtesy of Draco) half eaten set aside as she stares the empty paper.

Luckily, she doesn't has to stare at it any longer, Daphne barging in with a bag from Madam Malkin's stuffed. Astoria sighed, and Natalie glared at Daphne for a split second before closing the door.

"I'm guessing that what brings you here are my robes,", Astoria said, not pushing away the empty paper. "That's nice and all, but unless you got the wrong calendar, Daph, the Ministry ball is three months away. I _hardly_ see a reason to bring those here, especially because it's the middle of my workday."

"Well, if you came with me to Diagon Alley to actually test some robes with me, this wouldn't be happening,", Daphne replied, an eye roll following. "Now come on and undress, I have five robes and thirty minutes."

"At least pay me dinner first,", Astoria grumbled, closing her windows as Daphne sat down.

"First, _gross_ , second, move.", Daphne looked at her well manicured nails, and Astoria obeyed her sister, picking up the first robe and sliding it into herself. It had a self-lacing corset (how she hated these things) in a soft gold, and lace decorated her bust, covering the corset in a vine pattern, puffy sleeves with more golden lace decorating her arms, a fluffed skirt with a thousand charmed petticoats.

Astoria absolutely hated it. Daphne, luckily, did too, if the disgust written clearly in her face was any indication. She started to undress again, and started to kill two birds with one stone.

"Daphne, do help me,", she started, reaching for the next golden robe. "If I told you that any child you have might be incapable to digest potions, what could I expect as a reaction?"

"As my sister, or as my healer?", Daphne pointed out, and Astoria conceded, looking at her most recent robe. This one had a square neckline, decorated with a panel full of small embroidered sunflowers against off-white, skirts simple and the same soft yellow fabric on both it and the sleeves - lace and long, resting against her wrists. "As my healer, I'd say that you're wrong and that I want a second opinion, but at the same time, I'd probably worry that there's something wrong with me and Blaise. I'd also sue you."

Astoria gave Daphne a dry "thanks" and transfigured one of the bigger toys into a mirror, looking at her reflex. It was nice, she thought.

"I like this one,", Astoria decided, putting her hands on her waist. Daphne rose up, gave Astoria a critical look, and nodded.

"Luna did tell me you'd like it. She quite enjoyed using your body to twirl around in it."

Astoria looked at her sister, puzzled, and Daphne kept her steadfast stare.

"Do I want to know?"

"I don't think you would,", was Daphne's simple answer. Astoria decided that if it was a story Daphne didn't want to tell, she didn't need to hear it. Daphne cast a time spell and sighed. "Seems like it's time for me to give these back. I'll be on my way. Don't forget to send a letter to mother."

Astoria rolled her eyes, and Daphne simply nodded, the bag flying to her hand with a wave of her wand. She opened the door to leave, and eyed the muggles who were waiting already, smiling softly at the nervous looking dad and a small boy.

"One moment, sir, and I'll attend you,", she said, and gave the boy a small wave before closing her door. She looked mournfully at her sandwich and empty paper, and Vanished both before straightening her back. Astoria decided she could deal with her Weasley problem when it came to it, and promptly threw herself into work.

It worked well until friday morning, when Astoria was sitting in front of her desk, a forced smile in her face, Weasley alone in front of her. Astoria wasn't sure why Potter hadn't come, but maybe he got held up at the Auror office or something. She didn't know what could held him up at seven in the morning of a friday, but Astoria really hoped it wasn't a mistress or something like that.

"So…", Astoria took a deep breath, and picked Edgecombe's papers from a drawer. "As you know, I've got the results back. Would you like for me to explain it, or just to skip to what it really means? I can provide a copy for you, mrs. Potter."

"Just tell me,", Weasley says, and Astoria nods, explaining briefly the test and then saying what Edgecombe had pointed out in clinical terms, but this time with far more warmth. It was a must, in her profession.

When she was done, Weasley was pale like death and quiet like it, too, but her brown eyes were filled with rage. Astoria wondered if she was about to get hit with Weasley's famous Bat Boogey Hex instead of a lawsuit.

"Are you sure? Absolutely, a hundred per cent sure?", Weasley asked, words filled with venom.

"It takes some time because the arithmathcist revises their work thrice, mrs. Potter,", Astoria replied, careful. "I could ask for the test to be remade and the probabilities recalculated, but there'd be a slim chance, if non-existent, it changed any number in it."

Weasley bit her lower lip, and after what seemed like two hours, she spoke again, face with more defeat than in the days she came battered and bruised from the Death Eater's wands.

"Alright. What can me and Harry do, then?"

"Well, for starters - and if you pardon me, mrs. Potter -, mr. Potter could come care about the health of his future children, to be able to fully understand what this means not only for you, but for him, and any future healers your children might have.", when Astoria finished, Weasley's eyes went down, almost like they were filled with guilt, and Astoria stared at the redhead. Weasley always had been an open book, and reading her never had been too difficult. Being a Legilimens would've probably helped, but Astoria knew body posture and how much the psyche was influential to it. "Does mr. Potter know about the tests?"

Weasley spoke nothing, but her shoulders slumped. Astoria's frown deepened. A magical test, made without consent, wasn't a good thing.

"Did he give consent for the samples, at least?"

That made Weasley's head snap up, fury back into her eyes.

"I may be a so called _blood traitor,_ as your kind so likes to tell me, but I would _never…_!", Astoria shot her hands up, making her face a mask of neutrality.

"Woah there, Weasley, calm down. I haven't spoken with my family in years, and I think it'd be kind of hard believe in the pureblood ideals when I'm always treating muggle children.", Astoria pointed out, and then made a copy of Edgecombe's report. "I was just checking. "

Weasley at least had the decency to blush. Astoria smiled softly and took another deep breath.

"Well, as I was saying, you and your husband should speak about this, see your options, which I can explain when he's here, by the way, and decide what kind of life you want your children to take. They'd also need notes in their medical records, and when James goes to Hogwarts, you'll need to supply Pomfrey with the medicine, since I'd bet this kind of thing isn't in her stash.", Astoria paused. She had to admit, she hadn't treated many children with James' condition, but she had been working in that matter for about two years, give or take. There were also the muggleborns, who'd probably prefer something that they were more used to taking. "I'd ask if she has, however, just to be sure."

Weasley nodded, and Astoria spoke, in length, what exactly it meant - no potion taking during pregnancy, since it may disrupt the baby's nervous system; some muggle medicines, if she chose to take them, were also forbidden, as some herbs that were popular as homegrown medicine in some wizard circles.

"... And also avoid raw fish. I know it's the newest fad, but it's not worth it.", Astoria finished, hands on her desk. "Any questions?"

"Not that I can think of,", Weasley replied, rising from her chair. Astoria rose as well. "If I do have questions later, can I send them by owl?"

Astoria agreed, and motioned to Weasley so that she could get out of her office, telling Natalie in a muffled whisper to give Weasley some of the pamphlets on do and don'ts. Maybe that could help Weasley explain later the data to Potter, instead of having Potter sit in front of her with Weasley again.

Natalie merely smiled and passed her a file, Astoria carefully eyeing Draco, sitting in her waiting room with a green tin and reading a muggle magazine, baffled by its contents, before hiding it behind her back. She scanned the room, finding it mercifully empty, and wondered if it was too soon in the morning for even the more worried parents.

"Hope I'll see you soon, mrs. Potter,", Astoria smiled, after Natalie had given Weasley the pamphlets. Weasley looked at Draco with accusing eyes, but spoke nothing, simply smiling in a tense manner and leaving. "I'm assuming you're next, Draco?"

Draco closed his magazine hurriedly, taking a chuckle out of Natalie, who hid it seamlessly with the sound of a closing drawer.

"Well, he kind of shimmied in between appointments, so I'd say so,", Natalie chirped in, an Accio bringing the magazine Draco had been reading to her. Astoria peeked in, saw something or another about some american celebrity, and gave her best doctor smile to Draco.

The blond simply sighed and rose up, accompanying her to her office, the tin rattling with whatever lay inside.

"So, what brings you in today? I'm fully sure you're not Skeeter in disguise, but if you are, can I claim innocence or something?", Astoria asked as she sat, offhandedly. Draco laughed quietly as he sat in the chair opposite to hers, sliding the cookie tin with one, fluid movement. Astoria set the file calmly by its side and snatched it, opening it to reveal warm chocolate chip cookies. "Aw, do you plan to Pavlov me?"

Draco looked at her, confused, and after some brief explanation on who Pavlov was and why exactly he was relevant, he still seemed confused.

"Why did he even do all of that? Muggles have so much time in their hands,", he frowned. "But no, I do not have plans to 'Pavlov' you. I just thought it'd be more interesting than the usual sandwich.", Draco paused. Astoria waited. It wasn't like she had much to do, anyway, besides reading whatever was in that file and waiting for her next patient. "Also, isn't today your birthday?"

Astoria looked confused at Draco and checked the calendar with a glance, confirming that it was, in fact, her birthday. She blinked again - how that had passed her notice was beyond her.

Actually, scratch that. Astoria knew fully well why she had forgotten - depression made things hazy.

"Thanks. They'll be fully appreciated, if I have one lunch uninterrupted,", Astoria joked, closing the tin and putting it in her drawer. "So, other than my birthday, what brings you in?"

"Besides wanting to give you a gift?", Draco paused, seeming to consider the question. "Chatting, perhaps. I originally planned to leave it on the door, but then I noticed your office was already open, and since I had some time to kill, I figured why not? Your magazines were also interesting. They'd be better if the pictures moved, but it seems like they don't have the technology for it."

"I really should take you to see a movie,", Astoria joked, hands on the desk, playing with a piece of paper that was thrown there. She needed to clean that before the first client. "Something nice, with as many special effects as possible. They can fake their own dragons, can you _believe_ it?"

"I'm holding you to that.", he said, putting his hand in top of hers - and for a brief moment, Astoria could've sworn the world had stopped, silent for the briefest of seconds.

Whatever it was that was happening, it was quite nice. Astoria had a nice, sarcastic comment in the tip of her tongue, but then it all came crashing down, Natalie knocking on the door and making all sounds rush back in as both of them jumped like two teenagers inside a broom closet, caught by the Prefect. Draco rose up, a slight blush in his cheeks, and Astoria coughed, eyes averting from his.

"So, I'll be going,", he started, adjusting his clothes - long sleeved, as always. Astoria wondered if that was because of the Dark Mark. "I'll see you around?"

"Sure. Tell Natalie to let the next one in,", Astoria replied, picking up the file and skimming over it, not seeing Draco leave as she dived in her job mentality.

When she got out of it, the day was ending, Astoria had devoured her birthday cookie tin, and Nott had come to take Natalie to his creepy, windy manor. She still wasn't sure what Natalie saw in him, besides the wallet.

"So, I'll be going on my way. Do you need anything?", Astoria asked, while Nott eyed her carefully. She knew exactly what he was thinking - _she acts like a filthy Mudblood._ Astoria just _knew_ ; it was the same words her father had spat out at her. Well, he was wrong. Her wand wasn't broken in half, like he liked to think, and Astoria still used spells. Maybe she wasn't the witch her father wanted her to be, but she was okay with that.

When Natalie said that she didn't need anything, taking Astoria from her thoughts, she took her leave and went to the grocery store, deciding she wanted some of the fancy jam and bread, maybe some heavily processed candy that she always told parents to watch for sugar content.

All of Astoria's plans go to metaphorical hell when she sees Draco buying candy, so she decides that maybe she will take him to see a movie. It's not like she has much to do, anyway, so she approaches silently, quietly tapping him on his shoulder, watching Draco jump out of his skin.

"Hey,", she greets. Draco looks at her for a moment. "Do you have anything to do for, I don't know, two hours?"

Draco blinked, and shook his head. Astoria simply smiled, grabbing his hands.

"Then great! Let's go see a movie."

"Sure.", it's his reply, as they decide they're going to sneak candy in. It's the most fun Astoria remembers having.


	13. Chapter 13

Astoria dressed up alone in the day of the Ministry function. She was supposed to dress with Natalie - they even had rented a house elf to do their hairdo and makeup - , but Natalie had to use her allotted time earlier, since Nott decided he wanted to take her for dinner before the Ministry function, a few days after they had rented the elf. That was fine. Astoria changed the elf's time to come, and Natalie would be dressed and fully prepared to have her hair and makeup done sooner than Astoria. It wasn't a problem.

Her robe was still beautiful, even after being stored carelessly inside her wardrobe. She thanked Merlin for the storing spells Daphne had put in the fabric, and patted the sunflowers with careful fingers. The magicked sunflowers reacted to her touch, petals moving softly, and she suppressed a giggle. That was nice. It'd look better with the sunflower headpiece she had and was to be braided in her hair, but she had to wait until the elf appeared.

Astoria heard someone knock on her door, and frowned. She had told the elf to simply appear inside, and as such, her possible visitors were down to two: either Luna or Draco. As she made her way to the door, Astoria hoped it wasn't Draco - it was too soon for him to pick her up. Besides, it wasn't like she was ready to go out yet, anyway.

She opened the door to find Luna, dressed in a dark blue jacket with silver buttons and small bits of frilly silver lace, opened to reveal a silver shirt neatly tucked into blue pants, a silver belt decorated with bright and shining stars. Astoria saw light coming from Luna's feet, and she looked down to find that _yes_ , Luna's silver boots were spelled to glow. She looked inside Luna's grey-blue eyes and the girl simply smiled.

"Wasn't the theme _stars_?", Luna asked, innocently, huge eyes covered in a silver eyeshadow that just made them look more greyish blue, and Astoria took a deep breath. "I've always wanted to be a star."

"Why don't you come in?", Astoria asked, with a smile, and Luna nodded. "Nice outfit, by the way. Did you get it from Rolf?"

Luna blinked, passing through, going right for Astoria's couch, where she had piled up her shoes. Nothing seemed nice enough; maybe Luna's opinion could change her own.

"Oh, no, no. My friend in Australia sent me the fabric, so I left it out with some bits of food and drops of sugar water, and the small elves that live under the floorboards made it for me,", Luna waved off, a hundred percent sure on her story. Astoria smiled, sitting on her coffee table. Sure. Elves under the floorboards. _Right_. As if wizards wouldn't have found that out sooner.

However, considering how Luna had _actually_ been able to prove moon frogs existed - even if not in the version The Quibbler had presented -, Astoria gave her cousin the benefit of the doubt, and made small talk with Luna, while eyeing her shoe options - which, granted, weren't many. Her shoes were normally of the "white, boring and comfortable" variant, not the "I have a ball to go tonight" type. Still, she had one or two pairs - a white pair that she normally changed colours, not too tall, but not too low, and a pair of red pumps that she had bought on a whim. The second option was lovely, tall, and uncomfortable, but so beautiful.

Luna caught her looking at it, and with a flicker of her wand, changed the color of the pumps, transforming them into gold and a soft green, another muttered spell Astoria didn't fully hear quickly following. She raised an eyebrow at the blonde, whose hair was wild as always.

"Sunflowers aren't very _starry_ , I'd say, but it does have the word _sun_ into it,", Luna hummed, pocketing her wand as Astoria grabbed the now gold heels, putting them in her feet and finding them nice and comfy. She looked at Luna, who smiled. "The spell that made your shoes perfect is an invention from my Australian friend. They said it made spiders less likely to go inside, which was an added bonus."

Astoria blinked, and wondered if Luna's Australian friend was alright. But that'd have to wait until some other day - the pumps she had bought and thought she'd never wear fit _perfectly_.

"I could kiss you."

"Please don't, it'd ruin my makeup. I worked hard on it.", it didn't look like it, but Astoria was planning to take Luna's word on it. She had an answer on the tip of her tongue, but the familiar cracking sound of a house elf apparating inside broke her train of thought. Astoria turned her head to meet the elf's golf ball eyes, giant and golden, and she smiled as friendly as possible to it.

"Miss Greengrass?", it called, looking at Astoria carefully, clothes dirty with caked makeup, but the bag with everything it needed was clean."Where is your vanity dress?"

"I don't have one, but you can use the kitchen table.", she replied as she rose up, and the elf carefully eyed her before nodding.

"Okay. I'll come for you when I'm ready." the elf curtsied, polite, and left for the kitchen. Astoria sighed when it left the room, sitting back, and Luna looked back at her.

"Daphne told me aunt and uncle would be there. Did she tell you?"

Astoria smile became tense. _Father?_ Back in England? He had been acquitted of being a Death Eater ( _somehow_ ) and had fled to America as soon as possible, taking her mother with him, and tried to take Astoria, to make her finish her last year in Ivelmorny instead of facing the music in Hogwarts.

Sure, she had rebelled again and fled to her aunt's house, and had begged her aunt to be her guardian for the year. Her father had conceded there, a letter making its way to her hands saying that she was to come "home" during the holiday break to "discuss her unladylike behavior". If Astoria had decided then and there she wanted to get out of the Wizarding World as much as possible, well, it wasn't her fault. She was still going to throw that in her father's face, to see him keep away from her as much and possible, and so, she spoke with Slughorn, and got herself in the Sorbonne medicine/healing course.

She shook her head, both answering Luna and getting out of her walk through the memory lane. Luna inclined her head, pale hair cascading down her shoulders.

"No? How odd. The wrackspurts must have gotten to her, she had a lot of them in her head…", Luna trailed off, before righting herself again. "I don't think they'll be staying much, although. Harry told me they had a trip or another to France a few days after the ball."

Astoria frowned. Why hadn't _Daphne_ told her? Some odd sense of protection? She _needed_ that information.

"I'm vaguely worried Harry Potter knows my parents' scheduled trips. Shouldn't that be private?", Astoria asked, putting her hands in her lap to avoid wringing them.

"I asked. Said I wanted to know until when I could visit dear uncle and auntie, so he pulled the files on them. They're self-updating, did you know that?"

"No, but I'm suddenly very inclined to use muggle transportation means for the rest of my life.", Luna laughed at that, and Astoria willed the tension on her shoulders away, at the exact same moment the elf re-entered the room, calling her name, and Astoria rose up, Luna picking up an old The Quibbler Natalie had left behind and starting to go through it.

Astoria squared her shoulders and sat through the elf applying makeup on her - very light, since her dress was already a show stopper - and braiding her hair, the sunflowers in it making the ones in her dress pop out. In the end, Astoria looked vaguely like one of the purebloods in the covers of the magazines she used to read.

"You're done,", the elf said, offering a three-fingered hand up. Astoria Accio'd her coin purse, shelled out the two sickles and four knuts that was the fee. The elf stuck the coins in a small coin purse hidden on its side, nodded to Astoria, and left her kitchen, the crackling sound making her ears ring for a brief moment before subsiding. She sighed, and decided that maybe redoing one of the crosswords on The Quibbler sounded like good fun until the time Draco would pick her up.

She was _actually_ in the middle of pointing up to Luna one answer she probably knew - Astoria was sure Luna made those, so she probably already knew the answers and was just letting Astoria take polite and occasionally incorrect guesses - when Draco opened her front door with a spell.

"Astoria? Are you there?", he called, and she made a point to roll her eyes, taking a soft giggle from Luna.

"Geez, I don't know, but maybe if you knocked you'd know,", Astoria answered, going back to the crosswords. Draco strolled in, as fashionable as he could be in an dark green robe that was very similar to a tuxedo, small golden buttons to match with her dress. Not starry, sure, but she vaguely remembered some planets that color. _Maybe_. Astronomy wasn't her strong suit."Is it _Snorkack_ here?"

"Ten points to Astoria,", hummed Luna, waving her wand to write the words in and closing the magazine. "Well, off I am. I still have to go pick up Rolf and make sure he isn't wearing something old. See you there."

With that, Luna rose up and left, Astoria rising up before her and giving her goodbyes, and staring Draco while Luna went out, the sound of the door closing making Draco break the silence between them.

"So.", Draco started, falling in silence quickly after. She rose an eyebrow, giving a step forward, arms crossed.

"So,", she repeated, feeling silly. Draco's eyes averted from hers, and he seemed to blush. That was nice. "Wow, no compliments to my looks? You wound me so much, Draco."

Draco's eyes went back to her, and Astoria kept a smile in her face. He bowed slightly, and his grey eyes rose to meet hers.

"It'd be a pleasure to take you into tonight's ball, lady Greengrass, since you took my breath away, from the moment I first put my eyes into you, until this very moment I speak with you."

Astoria curtsied, her etiquette lessons prevailing. At least something out of her childhood had stuck.

"Why, lord Malfoy, it'd be a pleasure to accompany you in this outing tonight,", Astoria replied, eyes cast down. He righted himself, Astoria following soon after, one hand behind his back, the other a silent offer that she accepted. "Shall we go? I'm assuming it's time for we to leave already."

Draco nodded, and the two of them left her apartment, Astoria closing the door with a spell rather than her keys, before tucking her wand back into its pocket.

"So, what's our method of transportation? Apparating? Portkey? A _carriage_?", Astoria joked, containing her need to twirl around like some witch princess of old. Maybe if she was eleven, but not now.

Draco just looked at her, and she stared him back, as he handed her half of a red ribbon, shiny and satin-like. Fancy.

"Portkey. While carriages would definitely be fun, going underground on them would be hard. Not to mention, it'd mean the Ministry would have to pay for _everyone's_ carriage. Expensive."

"Always thought father had funded the Ministry with bribes.", Astoria picked the ribbon, her fingers touching his slightly. "Seems like the well has run out."

" _Starry night.",_ Draco called, a smile adorning his visage as the feeling of going through a small passage washed over her. She closed her eyes, and when she felt the floor under her feet again, Astoria opened her eyes to find a small reception, manned by house elves, several wizards and witches giving them their fancy and unneeded fur coats in exchange for a key. Astoria eyed Draco, and he motioned for the ballroom.

The ballroom took Astoria's breath away - it was done in black marble, with the ceiling a reproduction of the night sky, starry and beautiful, and she couldn't help but try to reach it.

"It seems like they used the same spell it is used in Hogwarts.", Draco's voice broke her out of her reverie, both of them slowly walking around the dance floor, soft classical music playing in her ears. She looked at him, and found him entranced by the ceiling as well, and ignored the odd urge to kiss him. "Interesting. Wonder _who_ found the spell."

His eyes traveled to the other side of the room, where it seemed the entire DA was sat, Luna talking with Potter and a pregnant looking Weasley, wild-haired Granger nearby and huffing at something Luna was saying, probably.

Astoria frowned, looking at the side Draco was guiding her to, seeing it composed mainly of Slytherins. Outside of the space destined for the dances, where Astoria could clearly see Daphne and Blaise already swirling in perfect harmony, there didn't see to have much of a mixture between the groups. _Seems like the dance lessons paid off, father_ , she thought, trying to not sound bitter in her own head. A quick look around did prove the rest of her family wasn't around, and if they were, she couldn't see them. _Good_. Let them be away.

Draco offered her a chair to sit on, and she accepted his offer, sitting by the wall, observing the entire ballroom. In front of her, a delicate arrange of lilies that glowed softly in silver. She poked one, and it seemed to giggle.

"You know, I'm feeling like there's a bit of a divide going on,", Astoria stage-whispered, and Draco nodded. "Dark versus Light, Resistance versus Death Eaters, you know?"

"I think I do,", Draco frowned, looking around. "You'd think things wouldn't be so black on white."

"Things like that are precisely why I stay away from this,", Astoria huffed, looking at the direction Luna was. "Nothing changes. I can't stand this."

If Draco was going to speak anything, he was interrupted.

"Then _stay away?_ No one asked for you to come,", Pansy's voice sneered, and Astoria wondered if she could, someday, refuse her service. Probably not. Hippocratic oath and all that. Pansy kept speaking while Astoria thought. "Actually, I quite remember not seeing your name in the invitation list. Draco, what possessed you to bring her? Some odd sense of pity?"

"I quite remember telling you, Pans, that I was Astoria's neighbor and that we were friends,", Draco frowned, and Astoria nodded. Pansy rolled her dark eyes.

"Pity, then? I see.", Pansy nodded, looking at the dancefloor. "Draco, would you be a dear and dance with me? Greg is already overstuffing himself at the desserts table."

Astoria looked at the direction Pansy pointed, finding the inseparable duo of Crabbe and Goyle eating. She hoped some desserts survived the night. She looked at Pansy with scrutiny, jealousy set aflame in her chest - she had been a Slytherin too. Maybe that had been forgotten.

"Don't you think it would be rude for Draco to dance with you first, instead of, you know, me, his official date?", Astoria put on her best smile, rising up, Draco apparently catching what she meant, or being polite. She wasn't very sure. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Pansy. Don't worry, I'll make _sure_ you're next."

Astoria took Draco's hand on her own, and practically marched down to the dancefloor before remembering she didn't know how to dance, stopping herself. Draco quietly offered her a bow.

"My lady, if you allow me,", he murmured, and Astoria allowed him to lead her, seamlessly mixing with the other dancers. "Thanks for riding me of Pansy. She never knew when to quit."

"Oh, don't worry, I've noticed,", she shrugged. "So, we were seen already. Do you feel like getting away to eat something? I fear your old buddies might have downed all the food."

Astoria _really_ wanted to go away. These kind of Ministry functions never were her strong suit, too filled with people that were way too ready to backstab each other for funds. That was why she enjoyed, when she was occasionally invited, to go alone - it was easier to leave that way.

However, she was someone's date this time, the pretty doll in his arm to smile and make vague agreeing sounds. Astoria already half regretted it. The other half kind of enjoyed the robe too much to care.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to dance a bit before fleeing to some greasy burger shop, where we will be way too overdressed but still killing it.", Draco replied, smiling.

"Oh my, Draco, is that a muggle figure of speech I hear, or do my ears betray me?", Astoria teased, taking a playful grin out of Draco as they twirled around, Astoria's usually graceless feet practically _flying_ , and she allowed herself to laugh - until she noticed both her father and his are watching their every move, eyes shining so much she could see it from the other side of the ballroom, and Astoria looked up, her eyes facing his. "Draco, I don't mean to be a hag, but if you twirl us, you're going to see my father and yours speaking and watching us, which is a bit _worrying_."

Draco's eyebrows rose, but he smoothed his expression in time to do as she suggested, expression glinting with a hint of panic before turning his back to them.

"Your plan of escaping suddenly seems very plausible and interesting, and I think we might start applying it as of now. Do you want to talk to Luna or Natalie before we go?", Draco twirled once again, stepping slightly away from their original position. It seemed like the burger joint would be getting their business sooner than expected.

"And here I thought I was the only one with parental issues,", she replied, accompanying his steps. "And yes, I'd quite like to meet Luna and Natalie. Nott, not so much. What about you?"

Draco nodded, moving them towards Natalie and Nott's general direction.

"I've already spoken with Pansy, and Blaise seems a bit busy.", he looked to somewhere near, and Astoria's gaze followed his, finding his sister dancing with Blaise. Astoria sighed, a smile playing in her lips.

"So, what you're escaping from?", her curiosity, which had her almost in Ravenclaw, was still strong. Astoria couldn't help but ask.

"Mother and father don't agree with me living between muggles. They think I'm becoming too much like them by working with my hands. I disagree.", he twirled them again, approaching Astoria's friend, by Nott's side, the man speaking with Hestia Carrow, whose date - a young girl with blonde hair - seemed bored. Astoria could understand, since Nott was dry and terrible, but that was just bad etiquette. Still, time to swoop in heroically to say her goodbyes to Natalie, and go away in a swirl. Sounded easy in theory, but practice, as Astoria learned in college, was a whole different field.

They approached Natalie and Nott nonetheless, and Draco nodded to Nott as he looked at them, still talking to Hestia about snakes and their breeding habits (what a subject) while he let Natalie get away. The blonde girl looked at them, and Astoria recognized her as a at-time fourth year she had healed from a particularly nasty round of of Cruciatus curse, hissing to Weasley to berate the girl later and let Astoria work.

Astoria put that out of her mind as Natalie pulled her away a few steps, Draco staying behind and being polite about the rather boring subject as they hugged, Natalie sighing softly.

"Am I your knight in a shining armor yet?", Astoria hummed, and Natalie laughed.

"I rather like the snakes. I find them cool,", Natalie joked, putting her hands in Astoria's shoulders. "So, what brings you to me?"

"My dad is here, and he seems to be scheming something with Draco's dad, so we're going to get out as quickly as possible.", Astoria answered, and Natalie nodded quickly, assessing the ballroom behind Astoria. "I just wanted to see how you were."

"Theo defended me from some very thinly-veiled insults from Flora, so it's going alright, even if Hestia is pretending her sister never spoke anything.", Natalie squeezed Astoria's arms again. "Don't worry about me, and if I see your father, I'm gonna be _very_ clumsy and drop wine in his robes so he has to go home and have no fun, just like you. What do you think?"

"That if I tell you not to, your Hufflepuff sensibilities will ignore me.", Astoria smile was borne from Natalie's, and the girl let her go. "Well, shall we? I fear that, if Nott keeps speaking, Hestia's date is going to _kill_ him."

"Oh, no, what shall I do? I'm going to be such a young widow, but that black dress is going to look _great_ on me,", Natalie mock sighed, grinning. Astoria swatted playfully at her.

"If Nott dies, do you mind if I desecrate his grave? I heard he has _snakes_ for bones."

"I can answer part of that, but you won't like the answer,", Natalie whispered, conspiratorially, leaning in, and Astoria faked heaving, taking a laugh from Natalie that made some of the older, snooty purebloods look at them. They ignored them in favor of going back to where Nott was still talking with Hestia and Draco (and whoever was Hestia's date, really) about snakes.

"How fascinating, Theo,", Hestia said, sipping her champagne. "I had never thought that putting verbena on the mister would make the snakes more prone to lay eggs."

"Me neither,", Draco said, raising an eyebrow, and nodding to Astoria. Nott was ready to speak when he spoke again. "Alas, Theo, a pleasure to hear from you again. The same time as always?"

"I don't see why not.", Nott answered, turning to Hestia as Natalie went back to his side, Draco taking Astoria back to the dancefloor once again. "Yes, the verbena was quite…"

"Luna's turn, I'm guessing?", Draco whispered in her ear, warm breath against her skin making her heart skip a beat. Astoria wondered what that was, and decide to ignore the answer for now.

"Unless you want to dance with Parkinson, then yes."

"Merlin, no,", Draco shuddered, "I still remember the letter she sent me during Valentine's day. No, thank you. That would only fuel her."

Astoria grinned, and she curbed the need to poke Draco in the ribs as they slowly made their way to where Luna was still speaking to Potter, who seemed to be having fun, dressed in black and silver robes, Weasley by his side in gold and red, like a walking Gryffindor banner. She did look pregnant, and the math Astoria redid in her head made her want to set her mattress on fire.

On _her_ bed? _Really_? Absolutely gross, but alas, Astoria could call in Weasley and say it was for vaccines or something. She'd have to ask Natalie to do that, but later. Tomorrow, maybe.

Rolf was well dressed, at least, talking with Granger, who seemed to be speaking through her teeth like a puppetry show. If Astoria had to take a guess on the subject, she'd say it was some of Luna's animals that she had a vague memory of hearing Luna say Granger thought were fake. Sure, Astoria had said she _probably_ could try to use some sort of healing spell for evil, but Luna had waved her offer off, and Astoria never did a thing. Well, she did laugh when Luna was able to prove Wrackspurts were real.

Astoria shook her head, Draco making a questioning sound as they landed on the other side of the salon, Luna's eyes rising to meet hers at the same time, rising up from the spot she had been chatting with Potter to go talk with her. Potter looked at Draco, and then to Astoria, who felt like she was being put under scrutiny.

"Hello, Astoria. I'm assuming you're leaving because of your father?", she asked, blunt as always, and Astoria simply nodded. "Well, then don't mind if I go speak with him a bit, yes? He can't follow you if his dearest niece is speaking with him."

Astoria smiled, hugging her favorite - and only, but who cared - cousin tightly, Luna's scent enveloping her.

"Alright, now go and have one last dance. Seems like I've got to talk with someone and try to catch up,", Luna didn't even wait for Astoria's answer, lightly pushing her back into the dance floor, Draco following with the same grace Astoria lacked.

He put one hand on her waist, the other one grasping hers, her free hand on Draco's shoulder, and he was about to twirl her away or something - like she'd know, _Daphne_ had gotten the dance lessons! - when the music changed, becoming softer and calmer. Astoria bit back a sigh, trying to control her hammering heart.

"Seems like we got ourselves having to make our slow way away, hm?", Draco joked, eyes focused on hers. Astoria nodded, and they quietly accompanied the music, swaying to its rhythm as Astoria felt her heart drum against her chest, impossibly loud. Her face was pink, but at least, Draco's was too. That was comforting, at least. "So, besides probable scheming, why is everyone we've met so far so intent on helping you escape your dad?"

Astoria offered Draco a tight smile, leaning into his chest a bit more. She wanted to bury her face there to avoid answering, but that'd be too childish.

"I'm not a real Greengrass anymore,", she started, and looked up to Draco, who seemed shocked at the news. "I was unofficially deserted from the family from the moment I told him I wanted to go to Sorbonne."

" _Unofficially?_ ", he repeated, eyeing carefully her father, still far away from her. Astoria hadn't seen her mother, the only person, apart from Daphne, she wouldn't probably mind speaking with. Not too much, although, since her mother tended to agree with her father on blood matters.

"Yeah,", Astoria replied, wanting to shrug. "They're afraid that Daphne won't give them a male heir to the bloodline, so they're holding out on my bastardization. The spare can be useful, occasionally."

He twirled her away, slow and soft like the music around them, this time, before pulling her back. She saw a glimpse of her father with Lucius Malfoy, watching her every move, as Luna made her way to him, Natalie and Nott slowly but surely approaching him. She _still_ didn't see her mother around, which wasn't too worrying - her mother often prefered to sit these kinds of things out, and Astoria, at least today, was jealous.

 _At least the entrance was close_ , she figured, close to Draco's chest once again, wondering if he could hear her heartbeat.

It wasn't the first time she had wondered that - Draco enjoyed to intertwine his fingers with hers while they watched whatever movies the local theater had available, which had, when Astoria took five minutes to notice, escalated to full fledged hand holding, then to hugging, which just made her feel like a silly first year with a crush on her sister's friend. She refused to think of that like that, and kept her hammering heart a quiet open secret, watching movies with Draco, who seemed _fascinated_ about it.

Astoria cleared her thoughts as Draco helped her out of the dance floor, the door so close yet so far, when they heard a undignified sound of protest, heads turning just in time to see her father drenched in wine, purple-ish spill all over Lucius' off-white robes as well. Astoria suppressed a grin.

"Better run, Draco,", she told him, grabbing his hand, and running away to the Apparition point, allowing Draco a moment to recompose himself before Apparating to a back alley near the burger shop. She grinned at him, and wondered if she shouldn't be having a stronger sense of _deja vu._ "So, here we are, once again."

"Once again too well dressed for it,", he sighed, mocking worry, and offering a hand for her to hold. "Let me pay, this time."

Astoria shrugged, accepting his offer. His hands felt familiarly warm.

"If you want to, sure.", they got out of the dark alley, heading to the greasy place, filled with people drunkenly watching the most recent game of soccer, whatever team it was against some other. Astoria didn't care, sitting in one of the most distant tables and watching as Draco blend in, asking the old man behind the counter for their food, handling the muggle money like he was used to it. He was, although, so Astoria didn't comment.

When Draco came back with their food, Astoria first picked the fries, while he did the same. She couldn't help but notice how he didn't flinch when the meager crowd screamed at a goalie or something, and thus, pointed it out.

Draco shrugged.

"I'm used to crowds speaking loudly. The rush hour of lunch in the bakery was sensory hell the first few weeks, until I got used to it. Doctor Moon called it _repressing_ , but really, if I think this noise is from the bakery crowd instead of the Dark Lord, it helps ease my fears that at any given moment, I'm going to be either Crucio'd or watch someone be Crucio'd.", he bit a fry, thoughtfully thinking about, before shooting a sly look at his arm. "Anyway, who'd have thought working like a muggle would have its benefits?"

"Our parents, I'd guess?", she replied, taking a smile out of Draco.

"That's true. Can you believe they thought I'd have come back to their house after two weeks? I didn't out of spite."

Astoria could understand, really, and kept chatting with Draco, at some point his hand going over hers. She wasn't very sure when, but the touch was nice.

Astoria sort of wanted to kiss Draco, as they walked - _walked_ , instead of Apparating, since the night air was warm and nice, just at the beginning of summer - back to their building, leaning too much into each other at points and separating when they noticed it. It felt rather nice, and Astoria wondered if she hadn't drunk anything at the party.

She used her time to gather her courage, build it up slowly and carefully because she was going to do something, now or never. It was rather bold of Astoria, yes, but Merlin, there was something being teased at her for months, that Astoria's ignored drumming heart had only confirmed.

Was Astoria in some sort of love with Draco Malfoy, of all people? The answer was a probable yes, she'd only need it to confirm today, perhaps see if she was corresponded.

When she arrived at her doorstep, Astoria opened it with a spell, and stopped in front of it.

"Here I am,", she announced, to someone. Astoria wasn't sure _who_.

"There you are.", Draco nodded, and Astoria, with a deep breath, took what was, possibly, the worst decision of her life - she kissed Draco Malfoy, and to Astoria's surprise, he corresponded, hands pulling her closer to him, deepening the kiss.

When they separated, faces flush, Astoria cleared her throat, stepping back and wondering if she couldn't just throw herself out of a window. That'd be kinder.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have…", she started, stepping back once again, flinging her hands togethers and avoiding Draco's steely gaze.

"No, it's alright, I…", Draco bit down his lower lip, and making a move to touch her arm. "I didn't mind it. Actually, I wouldn't mind kissing you again."

Astoria took a deep breath and summoned her interior Gryffindor, put her hands on her hips, glaring at him through the pestering blush that invaded her face.

"Then do it again, if you wouldn't mind so much.", that was the _worst_ thing that probably had ever left Astoria's mouth, but Draco obliged, kissing her, and Astoria allowed herself to forget where she was, using the doorstep as a support for her body as Astoria was pressed against it by Draco, her hands going through his hair.

They only separated when an horrified gasp was heard, and they looked in the general direction the sound had came from to see a horrified mother carrying a toddler, the child's eyes covered, and Astoria ran a quick mental check to see if that was one of her patients, and relaxed when she verified that no, it wasn't.

"Perhaps we should take this inside?", she suggested, and Draco, blushing, smiled.

"I don't see why not.", she replied, bringing him inside.


	14. Chapter 14

Astoria wasn't really sure when she started fooling around with Draco, but she can't really muster enough will to care about dates and the like. She found she enjoyed listening to his heartbeat, tracing the scars on his chest and stomach while the two ignored the faded Dark Mark in his arm, sharing anecdotes of their days. She wasn't very sure what Draco found nice on their arrangement ( _tryst_ , perhaps, was a better word for it), but he stayed nonetheless, drawing circles in her back with feather-like fingers.

The only issue with this… _thing…_ was that she ended up waking up late, but Astoria managed. It wasn't like she never had woken late before, anyway. Natalie enjoyed teasing her about it, when the two met at work, the other having moved to Nott Manor and leaving Astoria wondering if maybe she should get another roommate, or if maybe Draco already was her roommate. He _did_ help her with rent, now that Astoria thought about it.

Still, on her days off, waking up late wasn't a problem, and Astoria used her time well, tracing the scars in his chest. She wondered if it were the Dark Lord who had given them to him, its ragged edges raised up against her fingers, angry and dark.

"Why do you like these so much?", Draco asked one morning, the sun having barely risen on the sky. She rose up her head, brown eyes meeting his grey ones.

"They look interesting. Are they spell-made?", Astoria asked, fingers resting over the scars. His eyes diverted, and that was confirmation enough, and she kept tracing them like some lovesick fool, which, she _granted_ , she was. Astoria wasn't sure when, _exactly_ , the love part became a thing, but alas, it was present.

He sat up and Astoria took her fingers off his chest, forcing him to lay back again as she straddled him, kissing Draco as deeply as she could and forgetting that there was a world outside the walls of her bedroom. Well, she reasoned, it was rather normal to her forget the outside, so company was welcome, in a way.

Occasionally, Astoria stared at the faded Dark Mark as Draco slept, wanting to poke that _thing_ with her wand just to see if it'd bring any reaction, but she contained herself. She couldn't help but think that it looked a bit like muggle tattoo that had never been well cared for, looking through her memories of the war to see if she could remember how it looked before.

"Have you ever thought about covering it up?", Astoria asked one unbearably hot morning, watching as Draco put on a long-sleeved shirt, Astoria dressed up in light summer clothes and still too warm for her liking. He looked at her with confused eyes. "I mean, it doesn't work anymore, right? So it's probably just like a muggle tattoo. You could get it covered it up, and could, you know, wear short sleeves and not die sweating."

Draco looked at her, and taking his shirt, offered his forearm to her, the Dark Mark staring back at her. Astoria picked her wand and poked it, murmuring diagnosis spells and checking that _yes_ , that _thing_ that before had been so powerful and fear-inducing was now nothing more than ink on skin. She grinned, bright as the sun outside.

"I'm officially diagnosing you, mr. Malfoy, as the owner of a terrible, cheap muggle tattoo,", she giggled, and he chuckled. "Let's check out tattoo shops after work and see what can be done for you."

"Sure,", he muttered, kissing her tenderly and arranging his sleeves. "Should we go? We're going to be late. _Again_."

Astoria jumped to her feet, muttering curses, and making Draco laugh. Astoria found out she quite enjoyed that sound, feeling like a lovestruck fool once more, wondering if she had drunk Amortentia by mistake.

Her work flew by, even Natalie, who smirked through it like there was no tomorrow, saying how Astoria was _suddenly_ so cheery, and the girl in question replying that, if it weren't by her reputation as a doctor, she'd have some not so nice choice words to tell Natalie. Natalie stuck her tongue out to Astoria and offered her the patient's file. She looked over, and stopped when seeing James' name and Harry Potter with him, instead of Weasley. Astoria checked his file for immunizations, seeing them up to date, and looked for any possible symptoms of anything, finding nothing. This was either a check up visit, or one to speak about Weasley's baby, and Astoria honestly wished it was a check up.

Alas, it was not to be. She went through the motions of checking him up - weight, height, body mass, light talk about his eating habits starting when she noticed that James' was taller, congratulating the boy on it.

James' smiled, baby teeth shiny and white. She made a mental note to congratulate Potter on keeping the boy's teeth like that, and smiled to James as she passed him a lollipop, telling him to play with the few available toys while she spoke with his father. When both were sure the boy was distract, Astoria turned to face Potter fully, clearing her throat.

"So, mr. Potter, James is in perfect health, and his growth rate seems normal. Is there anything you'd like to ask me?", Astoria started, keeping her tone low and professional as to not make James try to pay attention.

"Yeah,", he started, taking a bunch of papers from his pockets, and Astoria's heart sank when she glimpsed what was written in it. "I found these, and I have no idea where it could possibly have come from. Could you explain, doctor?"

Potter looked at her like what she imagined a lion looked at a zebra, and Astoria did her best to keep a polite smile.

"Your wife asked me for the genetic probabilities of any future children of yours having the same affliction as James, and she had assured me the genetic sample was given consensually,", she replied, wondering if Weasley had lied to her. "Didn't she tell you about the results?"

Astoria had had that fear, but Weasley had assuaged her against it; _Merlin_ , she should've really sent an owl to Potter as well. He seemed to think about the subject for a while, biting his lower lip, before sighing.

"No,", he shook his head, and looked at the paper. Astoria had no idea what his answer was about. The results? The _sample_? She would never know. "Could you explain me how would this affect my family? It offers numbers, but no practical solutions."

Astoria smiled to him.

"Of course, mr. Potter.", Astoria explained quietly to him whatever he needed to know until Natalie knocked, reminding her to end the consult soon, and that was what she did, letting Potter know that if he had any more questions, she could be reached by owl, and reminding him to vaccinate his son.

After that, her day was filled with the usual patients, kids with fevers or teething or _both_ , and as she finished her day, Astoria thanked Merlin no one had puked on her, saying her goodbyes to Natalie - who was with her _dearest_ husband, Nott -, Astoria practically _skipped_ to her meeting point with Draco. She felt like such a child, but it was fun, at least.

Draco was already waiting for her, and she apologized for her lateness - a last-minute child with a late winter cold, Astoria explained, and Draco nodded.

"Have you thought about a design?", she asked, as the two went to find one of the tattoo parlors they usually passed by, blinking neon signs illuminating their way as much as the yellowish streetlamps did. Draco hummed for a moment, seemingly in thought, and Astoria waited.

"Not really, but maybe flowers?", he started, stammering out an explanation - how he always felt the gardens at Malfoy Manor were some of the prettiest things he had ever put his eyes on, and how he'd like to have it cover his Dark Mark. Astoria held his hand, squeezing it, and smiling.

"It's a great idea, Draco.", Astoria told him, truthfully, and he smiled to her. The world, for a long moment while the two walked around, almost aimlessly, looked like it was seen through the lens of a camera - soft and fuzzy, dots of concentrated light around them, much like halos - as they spoke about flowers.

Draco chose a few he remembered from his childhood - asters and carnations, daffodils and peonies and so many others it made Astoria's had spin, interlaced like a bouquet, eating away the snake and skull in his arm and hiding it from view.

It was enough, and a week later Draco came out of the chosen parlor with a tattoo wrapped in plastic and a small list of care tips in his hands.

Astoria, as soon as possible, when they were in her house - his flat at some point in back returned to the landlady, Draco having moved in during the past month, both of them not sure _when_ -, she told him there was a healing potion for tattoos. Well, not exactly _for tattoos._

"Is there?", Astoria nodded as an answer to his question, rising up, and going to the cabinet where she kept her potions stored. The healing potion she mentioned was just the usual potion, but instead of being drunk, it had to be used _topically_ , letting the skin absorb it.

She grabbed one and opened it, giving it the old sniff test to check its quality and giving a shocked step back when her stomach started making somersaults.

That wasn't usual.

She started counting days, trying to remember the days as the lenses of the camera she saw her life through started to die out, and biting her lower lip when the result she came back with wasn't _positive_.

Well, it _was_ , in a certain aspect. She touched her stomach temptively, and with a deep breath, Astoria decided that she very well could decide what to do any other day, even if not recommended. She put on her best smile, and went back to Draco, potion in hand, pretending everything was alright.

Astoria told him it was to be used once a day, for the next three or four days, _five_ if he wanted to be in the safe side; she conjured a small black towel to put on her table, and casted, as silently as she could, a spell that would block any smells from her nose as Draco took off his shirt, arranging himself as so that any excess liquid would fall in the towel.

"Just like that, huh?", he said, watching as she carefully poured the potion, still running numbers in her head, wondering how could she be so _stupid_. Amortentia seemed like a very possible theory to her behaviour, at least. Astoria offered him a smile.

"Yeah. Want to do this yourself?", she asked. Draco nodded, and she passed him the vial, sitting back and watching him carefully.

Would he mind? Merlin, what he would think? She cursed her foolishness once more. It was a family curse or something - the exact same had happened to Daphne, after all. She had gotten pregnant, and then, married Blaise Zabini, giving birth to Genevieve a mere eight months after the wedding. Just like her parents had done before them

Astoria bit her lower lip and pretended everything was alright, following the motions of day to day life, waiting patiently until she was sure Draco was fast asleep, and rising up as silently as she could from their small shared bed, going to the cabinet in the bathroom and sitting in the floor to count the vials of the contraceptive she was supposed to take.

Thirteen full flasks faced her, and Astoria bit her tongue. There should be just five full flasks staring back at her, but instead, _thirteen_ , mocking her.

She picked her wand, muttering a spell, and closing her eyes. Red for negative, blue for positive, the soft tones of latin leaving her tongue while she refused to accept reality.

The warm glow of the spell's result made Astoria open her eyes, facing reality in its navy blue tones of a positive pregnancy spell.

Bile rose up in her throat, but she clenched her fist, forcing herself to calm down as Astoria rose up, deciding to eat her feelings away and think. It was what she did best.


	15. Chapter 15

It had been a month since Astoria had learned of her pregnancy, and she had carefully kept it a secret, waiting until she could be _sure_ nothing would happen to the baby. She looked at Draco, sipping her tea quietly, and decided today was a good day as any to tell.

"So.", Astoria started, taking a deep breath. Draco's eyes rose from the newspaper, and even the photographies seemed curious about what she was about to say. "I'm pregnant."

Draco blinked slowly, and Astoria wondered _why_ the Hat had put her in Slytherin, if that was all she could've come up with. Really, absolutely ridiculous.

"First, I know I was careless, and I'll totally understand if you…", Astoria started once again, and stopped when she saw Draco's face - she had no idea what he was thinking.

"That's wonderful news, Astoria.", Draco folded the paper, rising up and approaching her, touching Astoria's face with careful fingers. "How far along are you?"

"Two months at most, give or take a week or so. You don't mind?", Astoria couldn't help but ask, truly confused. She had thought the worst, ready to flee to France or something along those lines.

Draco looked at her with shock clear in his eyes, maybe a hint of mistrust, and shook his head as Astoria rose up, holding into his arms.

"Of course I don't - it was our fault, really, I forgot the contraceptive spells as much as you did.", he kissed her softly, like she was made of glass. A witch's pregnancy was a delicate thing, which made sense when the inbreeding was taken in the account. Astoria, having been born sick, was no exception to the rule. She'd have to be careful, as if she was, in fact, made of glass. "I'll understand if you don't wish to raise this child with me. I mean… I didn't come from the best place."

"Neither did I.", Astoria's home never had been a _home_ , properly speaking - her father was worried about the Dark Lord, and her mother was worried about making sure her daughters were raised into pretty pureblood ladies and her household didn't fall into economic trouble. It was no wonder Crucios were thrown around like candy, with stress being so high all the time.

But maybe this time she could do differently than the way she was raised. Maybe she (and Draco, too) could raise a kid who wouldn't know what a Crucio was in the flesh. They both weren't Death Eaters - Astoria avoided thinking about the tattoo on Draco's arm -, and as such, they wouldn't have the Dark Lord hanging over their heads, especially so since he was truly gone this time.

"Alright. Do you want to move in?", she asked, between soft, slow kisses, and Draco looked at her, confusion clear in his grey eyes. "What?"

"I thought I had _already_ moved in?", he asked, and Astoria started to laugh. "No, I'm serious, more of my clothes are here than in my _actual_ flat."

Astoria cleaned the tears that had sprung in her eyes, messing Draco's hair while stifling her laugh.

"Well, if it wasn't official before, now it is. Come on, let's measure Natalie's old room and discuss colours or something equally baffling.", Astoria pulled Draco's hands from her face, and pulled him with her.

Time passed quickly, as it tended to do, and as Astoria's stomach grew, so did their questions about the baby, whose gender they decided wanted to be a surprise.

Daphne, when she learned that, had been most displeased, but it was none of Astoria's business, and Luna had simply sent a letter with baby clothes from Brazil, saying that whatever gender it was, the baby still needed clothes. Daphne still gifted her a nice baby robe, so Astoria didn't care, even if a bit happy that her little family accepted her pregnancy. Her parents didn't know she was pregnant, and Astoria didn't plan to let them learn about it, shuddering to think of what her father would say. She had seen the looks he had traded with Lucius.

"What do you want to name the baby?", Astoria asked, going through a genetic testing for one Mrs. Vincent, a hand idly resting on her five-month pregnant stomach out of habit. Draco looked at her, flour in his hair somehow as he made some sort of over-complicated braided bread. "As funny as it sounds making up a name on the spot, I think I'd be rather tired during the moment."

"Well,", Draco picked one of the bread dough strands carefully, passing it over other as he seemed to think, ", why don't we name the baby for the family traditions? Mine is star names, yours are greek names. We can find something, and if we can't, well, we make it up."

Astoria nodded. She had never thought too deeply about baby names, never thinking she'd be able to choose one for a child of hers. Partially because Astoria had never thought she'd have a kid, partially because it had been drilled into Astoria that her lord husband would dictate things in her life.

"I've always quite liked Persephone for a girl.", _Persephone_ was a name her family had never used, too afraid of meddling with the queen of the Underworld, according to the legends her mother had passed down. Astoria felt it fitting enough. "What do you think?"

"Persephone Malfoy sounds nice.", Draco kept braiding the bread, and Astoria kept staring at his hands. Astoria wasn't even sure how that was possible, but it wasn't her place to question it. "How do you feel about Scorpius?"

Astoria smiled. Scorpius sounded nice, even if vaguely threatening, the image of a scorpion popping up in her head.

"It's a good name. So, either Scorpius or Persephone, huh? Seems like the poor kid won't be getting away from a terrible name."

Draco laughed, finishing the braid, and flicking his wand to make it go to a tray, floating it to inside the oven as he approached her, messing her hair playfully. Astoria picked her pen and started drawing mindlessly on his skin, ignoring her work in favor of creating figures of ink in his skin.

The intimacy their shared, odd as it was, was nice. Astoria quite enjoyed the domesticity of it all - Draco and his baking that made the flat smell heavenly, and she found out Draco reacted funny when she flirted with him in public -, and wondered if this is what life could be.

The baby kicked, and Astoria choked. Draco looked at her, hands white with flour touching the baby bump, resting over hers.

It kicked again, and Astoria choked out a laugh.

"I think the baby is going to be a Beater.", she laughed, wishing it wasn't trying to break her ribs. Draco laughed with Astoria, and the teo stayed like that, forgetting about the world and kissing softly, until the smell of burnt bread took them from their little fantasy world.

Astoria sighed and went back to work, humming carefully while listening to Draco whine about his burnt bread, smiling to herself.

Her pregnancy wasn't all bliss, as much as Astoria would like; she struggled to gain weight, and had to work with a perpetual spell in her nose so she wouldn't puke - the smell of latex did things to her stomach. Astoria was sure her sense of smell was a small price to pay to not spill her guts out.

Astoria was at work when Weasley came in, no James in sight, frowning as she sat in front her Astoria.

"Hello there, Weasley."

"Is there any way to know if my baby is allergic to potions?", Weasley asked, not greeting back. Astoria put it as a hormonal slight and smiled. "Besides, you know, taking them."

"No other way, I'm afraid. What fails to react properly isn't the ingredients, but the entirety of the potion. Of course, when your child is born and is around the nine month mark, we could to a allergen test, but it occasionally doesn't work as it should and gives a few mixed results.", Astoria paused, wondering for a moment if Potter had spoken to her about the test results, watching Weasley's face carefully. She joined her hands, leaning in. "Your husband came here to speak about the results. Did he let you know?"

Weasley, somehow, paled and blushed at the same time. Astoria kept a neutral face.

"Yes. He found the results and, apparently, when he didn't understand the data, came to do James' check up and asked about it.", Weasley seemed to be sulking, which was rather funny. Astoria nodded.

"I'm going to ask again, but just to be sure, Weasley. Was the sample given or taken?"

The issue with the potion used to give the family tree is that it tended to both malfunction and ruin the tree _or_ curse the one who had put the taken sample there. Considering how Astoria had gotten a perfect family tree, she really didn't want to have someone be cursed thanks to her.

Weasley blushed, anger shaping her face. Astoria kept her stance.

"I've already told you, it was given of free will and sound mind."

"That, however, doesn't explain how Mr. Potter didn't know about the exam, nor why he didn't come to see the results, Weasley,", Astoria replied, taking deep breaths to calm herself and her kicking baby. Perhaps not a Beater, but a soccer player.

Weasley grit her teeth, seemingly in pain, and Astoria made a move for her potion cabinet before shaking her head, and going for the medicine samples.

"I asked if I could cut his hair. Harry said yes, so I took it from the floor,", Weasley accepted the offered pain medicine, an _Aguamenti_ inside a plastic cup providing for the water. Astoria nodded to herself. She hadn't cursed someone, thankfully, and could feel herself breathing easily.

Harry Potter, when he agreed to have his hair cut, gave up his rights to it, since that, in the moment it touched the ground, it wasn't _his_ anymore. As such, if Weasley or anyone else scooped it up and gave for Astoria to test or just threw it away, it didn't matter - there'd be no curse.

"Then I offer my apologies, Mrs. Potter, but better safe than sorry.", Astoria replied, adjusting herself. The baby kicked again, and Astoria bit back a frown.

Weasley shook her head.

"No issue, Greengrass. Or…", there was a smirk, there, and Astoria wondered if Natalie would defend her if she hexed Weasley. "Perhaps I should say _Malfoy_? Congratulations, by the way."

Astoria rose up, a tight smile in her face.

"Unless you have other questions, I believe we are done here, Weasley.", Astoria guided Weasley to the door, doing her best to not be rude. When Weasley shrugged, leaving with no words between the basic greetings to give a friendly appearence, and Astoria smiled to the next child in line. The child smiled back, and Astoria accepted the file that was offered to her, pouring herself into work again.

The months passed, Astoria grew like a balloon, almost eight months pregnant, and the nursery room was finalized - soft grey and mint green, _way_ too many pillows and a small gift from Narcissa, who, supposedly, heard it through the grapevine and had apparated in their living room one day, which just sealed Astoria's decision to ward her house once and for all. They had taken way too long to finish it, but it was done.

Astoria was woken up a few days after the new year had begun by the soft tapping of an owl, and she rose up to see what it could be. When she saw her father's scribbled letter writing her name, Astoria took a deep breath and burnt it, not bothering to look - she still remembered the looks he shared with Lucius Malfoy, and Astoria was too far along her pregnancy to be stressed with whatever machinations her father decided to spring on her.

Astoria tried going back to sleep, but she couldn't, mind worrying itself over whatever her father must have wanted to send her an owl - so Astoria rose up, deciding to not bother Draco with her tossing and turning.

When the first contraction came, Astoria was sitting in a comfortable chair she had bought on a whim and put it near the window, so she could watch the sunrise, drinking tea quietly while watching the cityline appearing from the cloud of darkness. Draco had gone to work sometime before, but Astoria wasn't sure of the time. She clutched at her stomach, spelling the teacup with a wand flick. It was too soon - the baby wasn't supposed to come for another month. Astoria took a deep breath, and bit her tongue to keep her head clear, expulsing whatever other thoughts.

Astoria took a deep breath and decided it was time to go to St. Mungo's or whatever hospital was closer, rising up from her chair and waving her wand, hearing a bag be filled with clothes as she hastily scribbled a note to Draco. When that was done, Astoria Accio'd the bag to herself, squared her shoulders, and set off to… _well_ , either give birth or not. Not a lot of things to do in her situation, really.


	16. Chapter 16

Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy was born small and sick, but it was okay - Astoria loved him all the same. He had been born with some issues to breath, but nothing a potion wouldn't cure. She had been lucky to not have any complications with him, holding the baby close to her chest, admiring his small little face.

The baby did nothing, sound asleep, and Astoria hummed to herself, touching the small quantity of fine blonde hair Scorpius had. She smiled softly to the baby, taking a deep breath.

"Hello there, little one.", Astoria looked up, just to make sure she was alone, and nodded quickly to herself when she found the door well closed. "I'm your mom, and you're my son."

The baby didn't react, which was expected since he was sound asleep. Astoria felt a bit silly talking with a newborn, but she decided to put the blame on the seemingly thousands of potions she had taken for messing with her head. She touched the baby's hair once more, soft and blonde and nothing like her own dark hair. Astoria had only seen briefly Scorpius eyes, but she was sure they were hers, the same dark shade in other person's face. Kind of weird, really.

"Anyway, as I was saying…", she cleared her throat, booping Scorpius' nose with careful fingers. "I'm going to protect you. My family wasn't the best, but I'm not going to repeat their mistakes, I promise."

The door opened at the last syllables of the word, and Astoria rose her eyes to meet her mother's, which was a surprise, considering she hadn't told Daphne or Luna she was going to give birth, and also considering the fact she hadn't spoken to her parents since her graduation. Astoria grabbed her wand from the side of her bed, but kept careful watch over her mother, whose own dark hair, so similar to Astoria's, was sprinkled with grey.

"Mother.", she greeted, wand in hand, Scorpius sound asleep in her arm. "What do I owe the pleasure?"

"Your father has come to check the manor, and he had a minor heart attack. While he was being treated, I happened to see your promptuary.", her mother zeroed in the baby, and Astoria had to bite back the will to hold Scorpius close to her chest. It was no coincidence, Astoria knew."I presume that's my grandson?"

Astoria nodded curtly, and her mother sighed, like this was some great burden she was taking in her shoulders. Her relationship with her mother was only slightly better than with her father, but mostly because her mother didn't Crucio her as much as her father, and had at least faked having interest in her stuff. Still, a Crucio was a Crucio, no matter whose wand it came from.

"It is,", Astoria replied, feeling much like a child. Her mother nodded, sitting in the chair by Astoria's bed.

"You should know your father and Lucius have plans for you and Draco. Quite an aggressive contract, if you allow me the opinion.", her mother's blue eyes never left Scorpius, and Astoria bit her lip. A strict contract might as well be her ruin. "Of course, it may have been lost while we _moved_ between countries, but I don't think your father quite realizes this for the time being."

Astoria looked at her mother, and her mother didn't stare back, still looking at Scorpius like she was going to steal him for herself.

"What's your plan, mother?", her mother had been a Slytherin, and there was no possible way she was doing this out of the good of her heart. "There's something, I'm sure."

"Why, dear daughter, can't I just be nice for once?", her mother sighed, dramatically rolling her eyes when Astoria's answer was tight-lipped silence. "I did it to spite your father, of course. I had a good life here in England, and he just had to ruin everything with his pureblood fever, hadn't he?"

Astoria nodded, wishing her mother would just leave the room.

"Then why didn't you do anything? Why did you just _watch_?", she asked, wand still clutched in hand, a spell to take her mother out of the room and leave her alone with her son in the tip of her tongue. Her mother looked at her coldly, like she was made of ice, and Astoria willed away a shudder.

"I am a good wife, Astoria. I do what my husband asks of me.", her mother rose up, cleaning her dark green robes. In the right light, they looked black, and Astoria looked at her mother with disbelief. Could she…? No. Astoria shook her head, and her mother smiled, as if reading her mind. "Don't worry, dear. The less you know, the better, and your father won't hear a peep from me about my dearest grandson."

Astoria stared at her mother until the older woman left, and then relaxed against her bed, putting her wand away - still within reach, however - and adjusting her grip on Scorpius, combing his fine hair with her fingers.

"Don't worry, she is gone,", Astoria murmured, not sure who she was talking with. "She's not going to bother us anymore, dear."

Astoria heard the sound of the door opening, and grabbed her wand, turning to face whoever came to meet her, a spell in the tip of her tongue in case it was her mother again.

Draco's face looked at her with surprise, and she relaxed, dropping her wand.

"I know I have part on this, but I think I deserve to know exactly why I'm about to be hexed.", Draco closed the door behind him, and stayed in his feet, not sitting, staring at Scorpius. "Is that…?"

"No, it's a baby I stole, _obviously_.", Astoria huffed, and quietly turned to face Draco better, adjusting Scorpius in her arms. "Do you want to hold Scorpius?"

Draco blinked quickly and nodded, so Astoria carefully passed the baby to Draco, correcting him on his posture, watching quietly as Draco stared at Scorpius. If Astoria squinted, she was sure she could see a bubble between the three, which shattered when Scorpius started stirring, waking up slowly. Draco looked at her with panic clear in his grey eyes. She was going to say something about it, when Draco, as if reading her mind, started rocking Scorpius gently, and Astoria let her hands fall to her side, watching the scene in front of her.

Scorpius started fussing soon after, returning to sleep, and Draco looked at her with a smile on his face. Astoria smiled back, patting the free side of her bed, and Draco nodded, carefully rising up and sitting by her side. Astoria relaxed against him and sighed.

"Do you think we can be good parents?", she asked, and Draco looked at her. "Hey, it's not like we were raised with an army of nannies who taught us right from wrong."

"Speak for _yourself_ , I'll let you know my three hundred nanny army was a force to be reckoned with.", Draco spoke, serious, and silence hung between the two before they fell to a fit of giggles. "Maybe you should sleep, I don't think you should be awake so soon after birth. I guess. I'm not a doctor."

"That's a brilliant idea,", Astoria mumbled, using Draco as a rest. "Stay like that for a few hours."

"Sure.", Draco's eyes turned to Scorpius, and Astoria fell asleep to the hummed song he sang, some old french lullaby she was almost sure she had heard before.

Astoria was asleep for what seemed like five minutes before she heard the door open, and bit back a groan, opening her eyes to find herself staring at the ceiling. She looked to the crib next to the bed, finding Scorpius sound asleep, and Astoria frowned when she heard the sound of parchment.

"Good morning, Mrs. Malfoy,", called the nurse, and Astoria, still in a sleep haze, wondered where was Narcissa Malfoy before noticing that she was alone in the room. The nurse looked at her expectantly, and Astoria bit back a laugh. She hadn't even married Draco, and she was _Mrs. Malfoy_ already. "Your sister is here."

Ah, that explained it. Astoria smiled sweetly to the nurse, telling her to let her sister come in, and the nurse nodded, stepping to the side to allow Daphne and Luna to enter. Daphne seemed vaguely pissed off at this entire situation, and Luna seemed… Well, Luna looked her usual self, only a bit more tanned from having spent the past seven months around the Amazon rainforest. Astoria gave Scorpius another look and picked him up, cautiously watching her sister. Luna wasn't the issue here.

"So, dearest sister, when was I going to hear I have a new nephew?", Daphne started, crossing her legs as she sat, Luna looking around visibly distracted. Astoria smiled, feeling some odd sense of deja vu at seeing her sister. She did look _and_ speak like their mother, Astoria noticed, far away, still half-asleep. "I mean, I had to know through Luna, who apparently entered your house looking for you and found a crumpled note. Really? Not even an owl? I owled you when Genevieve was born."

Astoria took a deep breath.

"Didn't you owl me at four in the morning because you wanted a second opinion on her birthmark?", Astoria asked, with a frown, taking a giggle out of Luna. Daphne rolled her eyes. "I told you, she was just _born_ with it, it isn't an issue."

"Details, Astoria, now let me get to know my nephew."

"Our nephew,", Luna corrected, approaching faster than Daphne to look at Scorpius while Daphne muttered something about blood relations, rising up. "What's his name?"

"Scorpius. Scorpius Hyperion.", Astoria blushed as Daphne and Luna looked to her.

"Hyperion as in, grandmother Hyperion? The _crazy_ grandmother?", Daphne asked, and Luna just nodded, as if understanding Astoria somehow. "The one that tried to kill me as a kid?"

"She just let you fall because you kicked her, Daphne,", Luna hummed. Grandmother Hyperion was a bit of a heated subject in their family - the woman had been raised near Nurmengard at the height of the war, and had fought more than once against Grindelwald's Knights of Walpurgis, which had made her more than _just_ a bit paranoid when it came to self-defense.

"She tried to hex me!", Daphne stage-whispered. Astoria didn't remember the event Daphne referred to very well, too busy playing with some doll or another, but she did remember her mother screaming, and looking up to see Daphne being held by a spell, her grandmother's wand with a spell ready to go out on its tip.

After that, the world was a blurred motion of movement, and Astoria's memory failed her. She did remember not going to visit her grandmother as much after that, and the little time she had was under heavy supervision, the girls not allowed near the woman.

Still, Astoria remembered the stories she had told, glaring at their watching father, about _bravery_ and fighting for what was right, and _Merlin_ , Astoria wanted Scorpius to be brave, she wanted him to fight for what was right. Astoria had, but when they booted her out, she hadn't fought back to be accepted.

She shook her head, ready to speak something, when Luna rolled her eyes.

"Grandmother dramatics aside, Astoria, can I hold Scorp?", Luna asked softly, and Astoria passed her Scorpius as Daphne hissed something about inappropriate nicknames. "He seems like he'll give you no trouble, Astoria."

"I wish,", Astoria sighed, and Daphne rose up, approaching Luna and looking at Scorpius. "Did you see Draco on your way out?"

"No, but the nurse said he had left a few hours ago in a hurry.", Astoria nodded to Daphne's affirmation, trying to guess the time. Draco probably was late to work. "Anyway, can I hold him?"

Luna passed Daphne the sleeping baby, and the trio chatted quietly as to not bother Scorpius, her sister and her cousin shuffling away when the healer came to check up, bringing food that wasn't St. Mungos tasteless one to Astoria.

The fact they stayed meant they were still around when Draco came back, his surprised face photograph-worthy.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here,", Daphne drawled, and Astoria wondered if she couldn't just beat her head against the headboard to not watch the following scene. "Draco Malfoy, prince of Slytherin."

"I'm pretty sure I lost that title years ago, Daphne,", he frowned, but Daphne waved a hand at him, approaching quietly and putting a hand on his shoulder. "And I see you met my son."

"Oh, I did! And let me tell you…", Daphne leant in and whispered something to him, and Draco simply looked at her with horror in his grey eyes, flicking from Daphne to Astoria. When her sister was done, she let go of his shoulder. "Glad I was clear."

"Yes, crystal.", Draco nodded, stepping aside to be away from Daphne's grasp. Luna joined Daphne, and her sister smiled.

"Well, that done, it seems I must go. Luna?", Daphne hummed, and before Astoria could say her goodbyes, the two left. Astoria looked at Draco, who sat by her side. He silently asked for the baby, now awake and staring at the two, and Astoria conceded.

"Daphne just told me that she'd gladly poison me if I left you, which makes no sense considering you're the mother of my son.", he looked at her, and Astoria sighed. "Your sister is not going to poison me anyway, right?"

"It's Daphne. I have no idea."

"You have a point.", Draco looked to Scorpius. "What do we do now?"

"We raise him, unless you're in the mood for abandoning him in a barn or something,", Astoria chimed, and Draco laughed, Astoria soon following him. "It's going to be alright. Probably."

"Probably,", Draco agreed, and the two stayed like that.


	17. Epilogue

Astoria didn't wake up late on the day she was supposed to take Scorpius to the Platform for his first day in Hogwarts because she didn't sleep at all . Sure, she had tried, but after the clock struck midnight, she rose up, deciding that she might as well do some of her work, humming as quietly as she could as Astoria worked over a family tree or another .

Around four in the morning, Scorpius joined her, and Astoria looked up from the Fawley family tree.

"You should be asleep, young man,", Astoria chided, putting her materials away with a wand flick. Scorpius shrugged. "Too excited about Hogwarts, I take?"

Scorpius didn't answer, sleep still fogging his mind, but he shrugged. Astoria sighed, rising up and deciding tea would be nice. She set the kettle up, and waited for the water to boil. His anxiety was a sticky aura, and perhaps some nice calming tea would help him. Valerian root, maybe - he always liked the smell of it. She wished she could put a dash of a Sleeping Potion on it, but they had none in hand; Persie was allergic to potions, and the ones she kept out of necessity were under a strict lock and key . Muggle locks, at that.

"Mom, what if…", Scorpius paused, and Astoria looked to him, putting his tea in front of him, waiting patiently for the continuation of the phrase . "What if I'm not in Slytherin?"

That'd be expected , actually. Astoria had noticed how her boy was more into books than schemes. Scheming was more of Persie's thing. Still, Astoria couldn't help but wonder what had given him that idea.

"Your cousin Genevieve was in Gryffindor, and the world didn't end because of that,", Astoria replied, and looked at him . "What makes you worry?"

Scorpius stopped, and took a deep breath.

"It's just …", Scorpius paused, and Astoria waited, sipping her tea quietly . She had time. "The Malfoys were all Slytherins, weren't they?"

"The ones who were at Beauxbatons weren't Slytherins, and the world hasn't ended yet,", Astoria pointed out, and Scorpius sighed . "Don't worry, kid. You'll be loved even if you end up in the mythical fifth house, _Prungus_."

Scorpius frowned, and opened his mouth, a protest ready to leave his tongue, if his face was any indication - but what came out was Draco's voice .

"Is this some sort of early morning party I wasn't invited to?", he yawned, and Astoria turned to smile softly at him. "I was supposed to do a surprise breakfast with fresh bread, but I suppose I can use the help."

"Don't look at me, I'm working.", Astoria hummed, and Draco offered her a smile, messing her hair briefly as he passed behind her chair . "Scorpius, why don't you help your father?"

Scorpius nodded and slid off his chair, and Astoria went back to work. Her children were so was a good boy, she couldn't complain about him. He was obedient, quiet, meek - much like Astoria when she was his age, even if he looked more like Draco than Astoria. However , his personality was a hundred percent Astoria's, but more interested in literature than medicine . Astoria sighed to herself and went back to her work, humming to herself while highlighting the Fawley connections between the happy couple, until she heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor, looking up to see Persie's messy bedhead pop up, the small girl yawning . Astoria flicked her wand, setting some tea to be made , and let her youngest child play with her highlighters .

Persephone, or Persie for short, had also been an accident. She also had been the child that made her father and Lucius discover they were grandfathers. It had been very funny, in retrospect, but a nightmare at the time. She had been in her room, Scorpius not with them - Luna had taken him for a walk while the doctors checked Persie up -, and when the doctor was done , Lucius and her father opened the door . Astoria lunged for her wand, and Draco stood straighter as they both stared their parents.

Astoria silently was glad her father seemed like on the verge of dying, but made no motion to acknowledge it, even if glad for it .

The doctor who had been taking care of Persie left, sending Astoria a curious look for one second, but she pretended to not see it .

"Father. What do I owe the pleasure?", Draco started, and Astoria cradled Persie closer to her chest, her small tufts of dark hair so contrary to Scorpius' pale hair, but her eyes were as grey as Draco's .

Lucius closed the door firmly , and her father simply stared at them, like Draco hadn't spoken.

"So the rumours are true.", her father glared at Astoria, and she tried to understand how this had happened.

"As if you two weren't the only unaware?", she replied, thanking Merlin Luna was out with Scorpius. Her father shot her a dark look, and Astoria controlled herself to not put her tongue out like a child. "Please, literally everyone knows. Haven't you two read the papers? Skeeter had a field day."

Lucius' stiff upper lip twitched, and Draco bit down his lip to avoid laughing.

"I'm afraid I don't read gossip columnists, Astoria,", her father said, critical as ever. "I'm wondering, however , how come either of you didn't let of your parents know?"

"Yes, I'd say Narcissa was disappointed in you, Draco, but she knew.", Astoria looked at Draco, puzzled, and Draco shot her an equally confused look . Astoria didn't know Narcissa Malfoy was the type to read gossip columnists. "As such, we wish to eradicate this stain from the family tree."

"Oh, yes.", Astoria was probably a bit loopy from the potions she had taken, but she couldn't help but feel she was in some terrible movie with a pair of moustache-twirling villains . Her dad, at least, had the moustache for it.

"We took the liberty to type a predated contract to presentate and say that this wasn't some bastard you produced, Draco ."

To say Draco was shocked was to diminish it, and to say Astoria didn't " accidentally " send a muttered spell that burned the space her father's feet where was a lie .

"My child is not a bastard just because we aren't married!", Astoria hissed. Lucius looked at her like she was a child, and Draco took a deep breath.

"I will not sign any contract. I am happy with my current situation, and if you permit me the honesty, father, you have nothing to do with this situation.", Draco sat down by Astoria's side, and crossed his arms . "Please retire yourselves."

Lucius simply smiled, and her father threw a contract on the ground before the two of them left. They lingered by the door, however , and Astoria watched as Draco made a motion to grab it - but before he could do that, she sent an incendio on the stack of parchment, burning it to a crisp .

"Don't you two have better places to be, like, I don't know, away from my sight?", Astoria asked, all smiles, and Draco quietly put the fire out as soon as the door was hurriedly closed . "Sorry about that. My mother warned me they'd do something like that, and I really didn't want to take chances."

Draco looked at her surprised, shrugging and Vanishing the pile of burning paper from the floor .

"Mother may have sent an owl to me,", he replied. Astoria was surprised, but not too much.

She blinked when she saw Draco sliding a cup of freshly made tea to her, and Astoria thanked him as her family sat around the table, the light of day spilling through the windows . September first had finally come.

Hours later, Platform 9 ¾ didn't look like it had aged a day, still filled with dark robes, screaming children and fed up parents . Astoria sighed, watching quietly as Scorpius looked around. He seemed to be having fun, at least, quietly chatting with Persie about something - she couldn't hear it over the noise of the station .

"Here we are,", Draco said, voice bringing her out of her thoughts. Astoria smiled softly to her children, nodding quickly to Persie's request of going to buy some candy for Scorpius, and Scorpius looked up to them . "Are you ready?"

"Not really ,", Scorpius replied, and Astoria cracked a smile.

"Don't be like that, Scorp. Hogwarts is…", Astoria paused. Hogwarts had been _interesting_ to her, sure, but she had studied there in the middle of a war. "Curious. The library is nice, at least."

Draco nodded, and Scorpius at least seemed excited with the prospect of a good library. Astoria sighed internally - her eldest was such a Ravenclaw. Persie excused herself to go buy some candy, and Astoria worried about her when the crowd thickened, and she noticed the Potter-Weasley had arrived, with her children . She noticed Harry looking in their vague direction, and ignored them.

"So, Scorpius, are you ready?", Draco asked, entwining his fingers with Astoria.

"Not at all,", her son replied, too honest, and Astoria sighed. "It's just... What if I'm not good enough? For any house?"

"Then we send you to Beauxbatons, since Hogwarts isn't seeing how great you are,", Astoria replied, taking a smile from Scorpius, the tension in his shoulders gone . "Don't worry, sweetheart, and just focus on making the best seven years of your life."

Astoria ignored the muttered "that's what you'd call Hogwarts?" from Draco, hearing the train whistle.

"Time to board up, Scorpius,", Draco said, as Persie appeared from the crowd, giving him a bunch of candy. Astoria could vaguely hear the sound of wrappers in Persie's pockets, but pretended not to. "Don't forget to write."

"I won't, don't worry,", Scorpius said, taking a deep breath and leaving them behind. Astoria sighed once more, and Draco kissed her cheek

"He's going to be alright, Astoria,", he said, a smile playing in his voice as Persie said something to the tone of "you two are being gross!".

"Oh, I know. There will be no madman waiting for him, at least, but I wonder .", Astoria smiled, and held Draco's fingers tighter.

Everything was going to be alright.

 **there's a vague continuation (already available!) on my profile, focused on scorpius, called color theory, if y'all wanna check out.**


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